Why Turkey is striking out on the diplomatic field
Despite some diplomatic gestures by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his new prime minister, it appears Turkey's isolation and desperation in foreign policy will continue.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Binali Yildirim, his new handpicked prime minister, aren't ready to concede any mistakes in foreign policy, but appear determined to rescue Turkey from its increasing political and diplomatic isolation in the international arena.
One way to break Turkey's shell of isolation would be to place the blame for its seclusion tactfully on former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who until recently was the architect of Turkey’s foreign policy during Justice and Development Party rule. Turkey is now keen to repair its relations with a number of countries, including Israel, Egypt, Russia and Syria.
The quest to restore relations with Israel started quite a while ago. Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, a former ambassador to Tel Aviv, was at the center of secret negotiations held with his Israeli counterparts. Despite some signals that the two sides are very close to a breakthrough, nothing tangible has yet come out of the talks.
Yildirim said, “We are coming to a point with Israel. They are also showing [willingness]. There are contacts. It’s not concluded yet, [but] I don’t think it will take long. The determinative thing here is eliminating the isolation of Gaza for humanitarian purposes."
