Reflections on Turkish-Israeli relations

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to present a brief history of Turkish-Israeli relations, to display the essence and motives of these relations, and to explain the repercussions of the rapprochement between the two countries in the Middle East. The first chapter of this thesis presents information pertaining to Turkish· Israeli relations before and after the 1990s. Following an account of the relations between Turks and Jews in history, this chapter includes a brief history of the Turkish-Israeli relations from the establishment of Israel. It also analyses the important changes in the 1990s and gives details about high level visits between the two countries. The second chapter shows that there are several advantages that both Jerusalem and Ankara gain as a result of their growing closeness. This chapter focuses on the reasons why Israel and Turkey signed military agreements and cooperated in various areas. It also includes the essence of the relations and what the components of this relationship are. The third chapter presents an analysis of the repercussions of the developing relations between Turkey and Israel. It analyses how this rapprochement affected the course of Middle Eastern politics at the end of the twentieth century. This chapter also provides information about the reactions of some regional states to Turkish-Israeli rapprochement. Finally, the conclusion part of the study includes an overview of the ideas employed within the previous chapters and it also predicts what the future holds for this relationship.