Turkish Ambassador Decision Expected as Foreign Minister Set To Visit Israel in May

Turkey has been attempting to strengthen relations with several countries in the region to lure investment during an economic crisis

Turkey is set to make its highest-level visit to Israel in years on May 25 for a meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers and to announce a crucial decision about appointing ambassadors, according to the Turkish foreign minister, as Ankara continues efforts at rapprochement with its neighbors.

“We will go to Israel on May 25. We will assess [the process] with [Israeli] foreign minister. Then we will give the decision” on appointing ambassadors, said Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday, according to Hurriyet Daily News.

The outlet said Cavusoglu made the comment to reporters while he was returning from a trip to Latin America.

Turkey recalled its ambassador in 2018, a move later reciprocated by Israel, after clashes between Israelis and Palestinians over the US moving its embassy to Jerusalem.

Relations had previously broken down in 2010 after nine Turkish activists were killed while participating in a flotilla trying to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza that was raided by Israeli commando forces.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been working to improve relations with Israel, which culminated in a visit by Israel’s President Isaac Herzog to Turkey in March, the highest-level visit of an Israeli official to the country in 14 years.

Over the last decade, Turkey’s support for Hamas has proven to be a significant obstacle to improving bilateral relations with Israel, but lately there are signs that Ankara is slowly toning down its support not only for Hamas but also for other Muslim Brotherhood affiliates

Nimrod Goren, president and founder of Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, told The Media Line that, while it has taken time for the foreign minister’s visit to materialize, it’s a sign that progress is being made.

“It reflected that both countries are on track to start a new chapter in the bilateral relationship,” he said.

He added that if ambassadors are appointed it could signal that relations have reached a new era, beyond the previous Israeli government administration, and could encourage other groups, including civil society organizations and businesses, to increase cooperation.

“There’s a lot of potential for the relationship to develop further, whether it’s trade, or in energy and tourism, social sectors,” he said.

“As long as the political relations were not at the top level, I think there was a limit to what could be realized from that potential,” Goren also said.

Turkey is in the midst of an economic crisis that has seen the value of its currency plummet.

Inflation was officially reported at 61% in March but independent observers believe it is much higher.

The crisis has put a dent in Erdogan’s popularity with a Metropoll survey out this month showing the opposition coalition is ahead of the ruling coalition.

With parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for next year, Erdogan has tried to improve relations with several countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, in the hopes of increasing foreign investment to his country.

He met Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week, years after ties deteriorated following the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi when he visited the country’s consulate in Istanbul.

Aykan Erdemir, a former member of the Turkish parliament who sat in the opposition, says that the foreign minister’s visit is a sign that rapprochement with Israel is on a positive trajectory and said that the addition of ambassadors would be a boost to relations.

“Over the last decade, Turkey’s support for Hamas has proven to be a significant obstacle to improving bilateral relations with Israel, but lately there are signs that Ankara is slowly toning down its support not only for Hamas but also for other Muslim Brotherhood affiliates,” he told The Media Line.

The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist movement that has been outlawed by the government in Egypt; many of its members have found refuge in Turkey.

Improved relations with Cairo could be especially significant for Ankara which has stressed its interest in working with Israel on energy.

Israel and Egypt are members of an energy forum in the eastern Mediterranean along with some of Turkey’s other rivals, including Greece and Cyprus, which analysts have said has led to Ankara feeling boxed-in in the region.

Goren said a pipeline with Turkey might not be realistic considering Israel’s cooperation with some of Ankara’s foes.

However, he said that renewable energy and dealing with environmental issues may be an area that the two could work on together.

In February, Israel’s energy minister stated that the country was aiming to have 40% of its electricity come from renewable energy by the end of this decade.

“That’s kind of turning energy into an issue of cooperation, not anymore an issue of conflict and tension,” Goren said.