Why did Erdogan escalate his rhetoric against Israel?

POSTED ON2023-10-28 BY SOTALIRAQ

[size=52]Why did Erdogan escalate his rhetoric against Israel?[/size]

[size=45]
The Turkish President cancels his plan to visit Israel.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan escalated his rhetoric regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas, after criticism directed at him during the past days after describing Ankara’s position as neutral and based on a “cautious balance.”[/size]
[size=45]Western reports described Erdogan's statements in his speech to members of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Parliament as his "strongest speech" since the Hamas attack on the Gaza Strip last October 7, as the Turkish government was pursuing a path based on trying to play the role of mediator. Without incurring political losses as a result of its positions, especially because of its desire not to jeopardize the progress of its relationship with Tel Aviv, and at the same time maintain support for the Palestinian cause.[/size]
[size=45]NATO member Turkey condemned the killing of civilians in the Hamas attack, but urged Israeli forces to act with “restraint.” As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsened, Ankara strongly criticized the Israeli army’s bombing of the Strip.[/size]
[size=45]In an interview with Sky News Arabia, observers and analysts of Turkish affairs believe that Erdogan’s “neutral” speech in recent days exposed him to criticism from the Palestinian side, which was aspiring to stronger positions, as follows in his speech today, but at the same time they believed it would influence These positions are on the path to possible normalization between Ankara and Tel Aviv.[/size]
[size=45]What did Erdogan say?[/size]
[size=45]Hamas “is not a terrorist organization, but rather a liberation group that fights to protect the Palestinian lands and the Palestinian people.”
I call on world powers to put pressure on Israel to stop the attacks, and we urge an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian factions.
The tears that the West is shedding for Israel are “a kind of fraud,” and the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip must be kept open for the passage of humanitarian aid.
We had a plan to visit Israel, but it was cancelled. We will not go. I shook hands with this man (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu). We had good intentions, but he took advantage of them.
However, Erdogan's speech sparked condemnatory reactions from the West, as Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini criticized those statements, describing them as "dangerous and do not help reduce the escalation."[/size]
[size=45]The Israeli military operations come at a time when Turkey is working to repair its relations with Israel after years of estrangement.
Intervention in the line of conflict[/size]
[size=45]Director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Policy Institute, Soner Cagaptay, in a statement to Sky News Arabia, believes that Erdogan has escalated his tone regarding what is happening in the Gaza Strip as an attempt to intervene in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[/size]
[size=45]Cagaptay explained that during the last period of this conflict, Erdogan was trying to follow a “common position,” showing his support for the Palestinian position, but at the same time he was not hostile to Israel, as he wanted to help mediate the release of the hostages, and proceed with negotiations that would lead to a plan. Peace brings guarantees to the Western powers and guarantees the security of Israel as well as the stability of Palestine.[/size]
[size=45]However, this plan “did not gain much momentum,” according to the director of the Turkish Research Program, who added, “Naturally, Erdogan always has many ideas, and wants to revitalize his global political image.”[/size]
[size=45]The American Al-Monitor website previously indicated that Ankara is trying to carefully “balance” its position in the face of the war launched by Hamas against Israel on October 7, while cooling relations with the Hamas movement, as the crisis struck at a time when Erdogan seeks normalization with regional powers. Including Israel after years of bilateral disputes, as he previously met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, and invited him to visit Ankara.[/size]
[size=45]Erdogan's position has evolved[/size]
[size=45]For his part, Turkish political analyst Javad Gok, in an interview with Sky News Arabia, considered that the development of Erdogan’s position towards the war in Gaza comes after a series of talks and communications conducted by the Turkish government with various countries in the region, especially Egypt, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.[/size]
[size=45]Gok pointed out that “Erdogan and his government have escalated their rhetoric regarding what is happening due to the presence of Arab support for the Palestinian side and a Western attempt to allow more military operations in Gaza, and he does not want to lag behind the regional position that directly rejects what is happening.”[/size]
[size=45]However, the Turkish analyst believes that Erdogan does not intend to move forward with steps on the ground related to cooperation with the Israeli side.[/size]
[size=45]https://www.sotaliraq.com/2023/10/28/%d9%84%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b0%d8%a7-%d8%b5%d8%b9%d8%af-%d8%a3%d8%b1%d8%af%d9%88%d8%ba%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%ad%d8%af%d8%a9-%d8%ae%d8%b7%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%87-%d8%b6%d8%af-%d8%a5%d8%b3%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a%d9%84/[/size]