ISTANBUL/MOSCOW/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Turkey announced the restoration of diplomatic ties with Israel yesterday after a six-year rupture and expressed regret to Russia over the downing of a warplane, seeking to mend strained alliances and ease a sense of isolation on the world stage.
The deal with Israel after years of negotiation was a rare rapprochement in the divided Middle East, driven by the prospect of lucrative Mediterranean gas deals as well as mutual fears over growing security risks.
“With this agreement, economic relations will start to improve,” Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said of the deal with Israel, echoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said it would have “immense implications” for Israel’s economy.
In his comments following a dinner to break the fast in the holy month of Ramadan, Erdogan also said Turkey aimed for a quick normalisation of ties with Moscow.
“I believe we will normalise our relations with Russia rapidly by ending the existing situation which is not in the interest of both sides,” he said.
The Kremlin earlier said Erdogan had apologised to Vladimir Putin over last year’s shooting down of a Russian air force jet by Turkey’s military, opening the way for Russia to lift economic sanctions.
A spokesman for Erdogan, Ibrahim Kalin, confirmed a letter was sent to Putin, though he did not refer explicitly to an apology, something Turkish officials had long ruled out. Kalin said Erdogan had expressed regret and asked the family of the pilot to “excuse us.”
The moves come as a new Turkish government packed with Erdogan allies re-evaluates its foreign policy. Ankara has seen relations strained not only with Israel and Russia, but also with the United States and European Union in recent months.
Turkey’s worst nightmare in Syria has come true: Russian support has enabled its enemy President Bashar al-Assad to remain in power, while Kurdish militia fighters have benefited from US support as they battle Islamic State, bolstering their position in territory adjacent to the Turkish border.
Days after taking office last month, new Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey needed to “increase its friends and decrease its enemies,” in what appeared a tacit admission that his predecessor’s policies had left the NATO member isolated.
“It seems to me Turkey is undertaking a reprioritisation of foreign policy,” said Brenda Shaffer, a visiting professor at Georgetown University and a fellow at the Atlantic Council.
“In both of these cases, it is practical realpolitik overriding ideological considerations. There were never any bilateral disputes between Turkey and Israel, just the opposite, there were only mutual interests. The same is true for Russia.”
Turkey and Israel will exchange ambassadors as soon as possible, Yildirim said yesterday.
Relations between Israel and what was once its principle Muslim ally crumbled after Israeli marines stormed an activist ship in May 2010 to enforce a naval blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and killed 10 Turks on board.
The mending in relations with Israel raises the prospect of eventual cooperation to exploit natural gas reserves worth hundreds of billions of dollars under the eastern Mediterranean, officials have said. Netanyahu said it opened the way for possible Israeli gas supplies to Europe via Turkey.
Speaking after meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome, Netanyahu said the agreement was an important step.
“It has also immense implications for the Israeli economy, and I use that word advisedly,” he told reporters.
Both Kerry and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the deal. Kerry said: “We are obviously pleased in the administration. This is a step we wanted to see happen.”
Netanyahu made clear the naval blockade of Gaza, which Ankara had wanted lifted, would remain in force, although humanitarian aid could continue to be transferred to Gaza via Israeli ports.
“This is a supreme security interest of ours. I was not willing to compromise on it. This interest is essential to prevent the force-buildup by Hamas and it remains as has been and is,” Netanyahu said.
But Yildirim said the “wholesale” blockade of Gaza was largely lifted under the deal, enabling Turkey to deliver humanitarian aid and other non-military products.
A first shipment of 10,000 tonnes will be sent next Friday, he said, and work would begin immediately to tackle Gaza’s water and power supply crisis.
Erdogan said he had been in touch with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the deal.
