Can Israeli gas bridge Turkey-Israel rift?
The dimming prospects of the EastMed pipeline project offer Turkey an opportunity to mend fences with Israel and break its isolation in the energy rivalry in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has raised the prospect of normalizing ties with Israel, saying that Ankara is ready to discuss an alternative gas pipeline after the United States rescinded support for a planned conduit to carry Israeli gas to Europe via Cyprus and Greece.
In remarks to reporters Jan. 18, Erdogan noted that feasibility concerns forced Washington to backpedal on the Eastern Mediterranean Pipeline Project (EastMed), arguing that Turkey was the only viable route for Israeli gas sales to Europe. “This cannot happen without Turkey,” he said, recalling that Turkish and Israeli officials held talks on the issue several years ago. Now, "We can sit down and discuss the conditions,” he said, adding that Israeli President Isaac Herzog might visit Turkey soon.
