FOLLOWING OLMERT’S VISIT TO ANKARA
By Hanna Begelman Sevsay

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 22 2007

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan announced a few days ago
that a delegation led by Ankara’s ambassador to Israel would visit
the site of the Mugrabi ascent in the near future.

The delegation aims to investigate whether the walkway is causing
damage to the foundations of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy sites on
the Temple Mount.

At a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert,
Erdoðan said that the visiting Israeli leader had presented him with a
"detailed picture of the area," but that "the pictures do not convince
me 100 percent." Erdoðan explained that sending a delegation was
necessary, because it was impossible to accept the Israeli position
"only on the basis of the photographs."

The Israeli press and the entire society were rather shocked by the
softness of the Israeli prime minister, blamed him for selling out
the national interests and even for being a deceiver. According to
the latest polls, only 25 percent of the Israelis support Olmert’s
policy and there is a common compromise in seeing Olmert as the most
fledgling prime minister since the state’s establishment.

Olmert’s statement — "We have nothing to hide, we would be happy to
show, to cooperate with anyone" — has been interpreted as a brutal
and cowardly step toward the state’s demolishment. Thus, Olmert’s
legitimization has faced critical challenge both among citizens
and Knesset members. If so, why was the answer of the Israeli Prime
Minister so Turkey oriented? What stood behind the prompt readiness
to accept Erdoðan’s criticism and his immediate intentness to accept
the delegation offered by the Turkish premier?

It seems clear that Israel is keen on keeping stable relations with
its only so-called friend in the region. Even though the links between
these countries turned into a difficult affair to manage due to the
war in Iraq, growing anti-Americanism in Turkey and the latest Israeli
operation in Lebanon, both Israel and Turkey carry on having bilateral
business and academic exchanges, military and strategic cooperation .

The impressive November 2002 victory of the AK Party, a party
with Islamic roots, has reshaped Turkish foreign policy by getting
closer to the Middle East, continuing its reentrance to the Islamic
world in 1996-97. Building bridges with Syria and Iran and Turkey’s
alienation from the US might not seem as the most desired developments
for Israel. Nevertheless, the AK Party is the most-desired party in
official Jerusalem at the moment. As we approach the fall elections,
Israel needs the AK Party to stay the ruling party due to the
following reasons.

The first and the utmost is the fear of rising leftist nationalism
in Turkey, which may turn into the Turkish version of BAAS in its
aftermath. The second reason relies on the strengthening power of
Turkey in the region and its improved relations with Israel’s vital
enemies, which have reached their highest levels during Erdoðan’s era,
can serve Israeli interests in Ankara’s attempt to mediate between
Damascus and Jerusalem. Israel needs a strong Turkey in the region. The
AK Party’s model of "Soft Islam" is expected to be spread throughout
the Middle East. Legally elected "Soft Islamist" parties like the AK
Party, which support liberal economics and democracy, are likely to
be the last chance to bring stabilization in the region. In fact,
the Middle East built upon the AK Party model is the main fragment
of the Greater Middle East Project.

On the other hand, Erdoðan’s distrust of the state’s leader coming
with an official visit to his country, representing the state that
has full diplomatic relations with his homeland, was an ill-mannered
act in political and diplomatic means. Did the Turkish prime minister
not know that the ascent that is being built and current excavations
have nothing to do with holy Muslim sites? Was he not informed that
the bridge’s construction is not going to touch any place that is
sensitive to Islam? Was that the right time to show his mistrust
based on nothing? These days, when major US Jewish organizations
in Washington are working to prevent Congress from adopting the
"Armenian Genocide" resolution, Turkey needs the Jewish lobby and
Israel’s support more than ever. The only explanation of Erdoðan’s
"misbehavior" can be found in the attempt to attract potential voters
from the farthest right wings of the political map in Turkey.

Elections are coming, you know.

Erdoðan criticized Israel for its actions during last summer’s war in
Lebanon more harshly than most of the Arab leaders. However, Olmert
has never talked back in spite of Erdoðan’s tough criticism. The
higher the voice has been in Ankara, the more voiceless Jerusalem
has been. Despite being aware that he would be "castigated" at home,
Olmert had no choice but to swallow the Turkish delight.

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