Skip to main content

Israel-Turkish reconciliation takes shape

Jerusalem seems convinced Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan really wants to reestablish good ties between the two countries.
GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images

Before Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power some 20 years ago, Israel and Turkey were strategic allies. "In fact, the alliance with Turkey was the most important for Israel's national security other than the alliance with the US," a senior Israeli diplomatic official told Al-Monitor this week on condition of anonymity.

Relations between the countries were intimate, and more importantly, relations between the Israeli security establishment and the Turkish military were strong and based on deep cooperation and common interests. The two countries hosted each other's top brass. Israel was a major supplier of weapons and technology to Turkey, upgrading its tanks and assisting it with drone technology, while Turkey provided Israel with regional strategic support.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.