earthquakes dated February 6, apart from a reasonable interest in the possibility of normalizing Greek-Turkish relations, it seems that they also act as an accelerator for the possible development of relations Turkey And Israel.

Signs from Turkey, which has long been trying to normalize its relations with Egypt and Israel, are that the earthquake will usher in a new era in its foreign policy. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri’s visit on Monday to earthquake-hit areas and his contacts with his counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu are a sign of “earthquake diplomacy”, although that is still a long way off.

The situation is similar in Turkey’s relations with Israel, as many disagreements remain unresolved. The visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Feb. 14, the resumption of direct flights from Israel to Turkey on Feb. 16, as well as statements by Turkish officials about alleged negotiations to open a Turkish community office in Northern Cyprus, which was closed before nine years, show the dynamic momentum of efforts .

It also helps the time in which Netanyahu And Erdogan they face difficulties within their own country. International media such as the Financial Times have denounced the judicial reforms of the ruling Likud party in Israel, which have led to days of protests in the country. Of course, Erdogan faced the same problems in Turkey, to which was added a devastating earthquake. During normalization, both leaders deliberately distract the international factor from internal difficulties and present positive work.

The most unpredictable factor in the warming of Turkish-Israeli relations remains the Turkish president’s support for Palestinian organizations, especially at a time of significant violence. On Wednesday alone, 11 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli raid in Nablus in the West Bank. After all, the Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara, which was trying to break the blockade of Gaza in 2010, was one of the main reasons for the breakdown of bilateral relations.

Turkey, as part of the pan-Islamic strategy that often characterizes its foreign policy, has provided significant assistance and cover to Palestinian organizations, and especially to Hamas. In fact, Istanbul has been hosting important members of the organization for many years, such as Saleh al-Aruri, who is considered one of its most important military officers.

As violence between Israel and the Palestinians is expected to escalate and the Netanyahu government’s “movements” in the Palestinian territories do not appear to slow down despite US calls during Anthony Blinken’s recent visit, Erdogan will face a special test to keep the balance between the two sides. .

Erdogan, who often makes major changes to his foreign policy, will either have to cut his support for Hamas significantly and disappoint his Islamist supporters in a crucial pre-election period, or sacrifice recent attempts to rapprochement with Israel, risking US displeasure as well.