Israel-Turkish reconciliation takes shape
Jerusalem seems convinced Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan really wants to reestablish good ties between the two countries.
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.
