Skip to main content

Turkey Upgrades Palestinian Ties

Although Turkey’s consul general in Jerusalem will present his letter of accreditation to Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, Turkish diplomatic sources insist that Turkey is not “appointing an ambassador to Palestine,” writes Tulin Daloglu.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) shakes hands with Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting in Ankara December 11, 2012. REUTERS/Kayhan Ozer/Prime Minister's Press Office/Handout (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RTR3BGDE

After the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency broke the news on Tuesday, March 5, that Sakir Ozkan Torunlar, Turkey’s consul general in Jerusalem, will be accredited as Turkey’s ambassador to the Palestinian Authority, it became obvious that for the foreseeable future it will not be possible to speak of any kind of normalcy in Turkish-Israeli relations.

Two days after Ma’an's reporting, it looks like Ankara might steathily be trying to backtrack. Turkish diplomatic sources have told Al-Monitor that there has been no official appointment of an ambassador to Palestine, but at the same time they stressed that since the UN General Assembly decided on Nov. 29, 2012, to recognize the “State of Palestine,” having representation to Palestine would be a natural step to take. They insist that there is no reason to look for any deeper meaning, such as Turkey taking the opportunity to taunt Israel.

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.