Multiple moves by Turkey in recent weeks indicate that relations between Jerusalem and Ankara may change, or that Turkey would like them to.
Bilateral ties between the two countries have been strained for over a decade, ever since the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, where IDF soldiers shot and killed Turkish activists aboard a ship sailing towards Gaza under closure. They deteriorated further two years ago, when US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Following the ensuing deadly clashes between IDF soldiers with Gaza protesters, Ankara expelled Israel’s ambassador Eitan Na’eh, humiliating him at the airport upon departure. Jerusalem was left with little choice but to reciprocate, asking the Turkish consul, Husnu Gurcan Turkoglu, to leave the country.
