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More Than Meets the Eye In Turkish-Israeli Ties

Semih Idiz writes that while Turkish-Israeli relations seem to be at a low, Ankara and Tel Aviv continue to engage on security and energy matters.
Protesters shout anti-Israel slogans during a protest in front of a court house in Istanbul November 6, 2012. Hundreds of protesters chanting "Murderer Israel!" gathered outside an Istanbul court on Tuesday at the start of a trial of a group of former Israeli military commanders charged over the 2010 killing of nine Turks aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship.  REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CRIME LAW) - RTR3A20Q

One need not have in-depth knowledge of the subject to know that Turkish-Israeli relations are in the doldrums, with the favorable winds that might carry what once were mutually beneficial ties back to where they were nowhere in sight. To the contrary ties, already at breaking point over the “Mavi Marmara” incident, appear to have gotten even worse following the Israeli strike against targets in Syria in January.

It therefore comes as a surprise to learn through the media that cooperation between the two countries is continuing in the military industry field, one of the key areas that cemented Turkish-Israeli ties in the past, as well as in the strategic energy field. The surprise is compounded further, given recent angry exchanges between the two countries.

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