JANUARY 12, 2019 12:35 AM (UTC+8)
Joseph Dana
The relationship between Turkey and Israel has never been an easy one to understand. Since formal relations crystalized in 1949, with Turkey becoming one of the first Muslim-majority countries to recognize Israel, both countries have found themselves at arm’s length with the rest of the Middle East.
By the time Israel sent medics to assist victims of Turkey’s tragic earthquake in 1999, the two countries were sharing military technology and bilateral trade was booming. The relationship then took a sour turn, at least rhetorically. A war of words between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached a fever pitch over the last decade and seemingly threatened the foundations of this unique partnership.
Many observers, however, believed the alliance was never really at risk, due to the sheer amount of trade that moves between the two countries.
But now, all that has changed. The discovery of massive natural gas fields off Israel’s northern coast more than a decade ago and subsequent attempts to export this gas to Europe have highlighted the true fault lines in the Turkish-Israeli alliance. Recent events reveal that a fundamental shift in the alliance is undeniably underway.
