Ankara and Jerusalem engaged in an elaborate dance of messaging and mismessaging over their much touted rapprochement.
Gaza served as the unlikely ball-room. Israel and Turkey, long-time allies, have barely been on speaking terms since the Mavi Marmara incident of September, 2010, when ten Turkish citizens were killed when Israeli commandoes boarded a flotilla attempting to breech the blockage that surrounds the tiny Palestinian territory.
Turkey demanded and got an apology from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March, 2013, which was brokered by President Barack Obama.
Since then, it has been tough going.
Over the weekend, Jerusalem leakers held that Ankara acceded to Israeli demands Turkey clamp down on all Hamas activity in Turkey. Istanbul leakers held that Jerusalem faced its demands for “unfettered access” to Gaza—without elaborating on what that may entail.