Erdogan displays survival instinct in Israel reconciliation
Turkey has taken major steps to end its global isolation by reconciling with Israel and apologizing to Russia.
The news of reconciliation between Israel and Turkey did not come as a surprise. For several days there had been signals that it was just a matter of time for the announcement; officials on both sides were preparing their publics about it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome on June 27, said the reconciliation deal will have “immense implications for the Israeli economy.”
Netanyahu's tone in greeting the reconciliation suggested that Israel is happy about it and does not consider it as a volte face. Given that he also thanked US Vice President Joseph Biden for his assistance in the negotiations to reach the agreement while not mentioning President Barack Obama, one can easily conclude that June 2016 is well different from March 2013.
In that month, pressed by Obama — who was about to leave Israel on his way to India — Netanyahu had reluctantly phoned then-Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as Obama stood by and apologized for the death of 10 Turkish citizens as a result of the Gaza flotilla incident of May 31, 2010.
