Turkey is a member state NATOIt is also a hostage-taking terrorist state supporter. Soon, the Biden administration will have to decide its position-to stand with Turkey or stand with its victims.
Last Thursday, two Israeli tourists in Istanbul, Natalie and Mordi Oaknin, became the latest hostages of the regime. The two were arrested at a tourist attraction for filming the “crimes” in the palace of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The absurdity of the accusation is shocking. Thousands of tourists take pictures of Erdogan’s palace every day. As an Israeli official said, “Google Have better pictures [of Erdogan’s palace] Than those taken by the Israeli couple from a distance. “
Turkey violated international law and failed to notify Israel of the arrest of the Oknin family. A Turkish police spokesperson initially stated that the couple will be deported during a remand hearing on Friday. Instead, Turkish prosecutors announced that they intend to prosecute the two for “espionage”. The judge remanded them in custody awaiting trial until the trial began. Therefore, at least until mid-December, the Oknin family will still be held in Turkish prisons.
For decades, Turkey has been Israel’s closest regional ally. Military cooperation and intelligence sharing are close and intense. After Erdogan first took power in December 2002, all this began to change.Erdogan sees himself as Neo-Ottoman Islamic imperialism. He is a vicious anti-Semitist. Over the years, Erdogan has tore up Turkey’s alliance with the Jewish state bit by bit, and transferred Turkey’s loyalty to Israel’s terrorist enemy-first of all, Hamas.
Erdogan effectively ended the alliance completely in 2010, when he Sponsor a fleet to Gaza The purpose is to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of small terrorist states controlled by Hamas. The fleet is organized by Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), which is recognized by Israel, France and Denmark as a terrorist organization affiliated with Al Qaeda, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
IHH members on the deck of the main ship, MV Blue Marmara, When the Israeli naval commandos boarded the ship, they violently attacked it. Several Israeli soldiers were injured. Nine Turkish attackers were killed, eight of whom were members of IHH.
Erdogan recalled the Turkish ambassador to Israel and demanded that Israel pay compensation to the families of the IHH attackers who died on the plane. MV Mawi MarmaraIn the following years, Erdogan strengthened his support for Hamas. Hamas moved its main combat headquarters to Turkey. Senior Hamas terrorists from NATO member states command dozens of terrorist organizations in Gaza, Judea and Samaria.
In addition to hosting Hamas’s operational headquarters, Erdogan also Target Jerusalem-Especially the mosque on the Temple Mount-used for political subversion and influence. NGOs allied with the Turkish government have spent tens of millions of dollars on projects in Jerusalem, especially on the Temple Mount. Their aim is to win the loyalty of the Arabs in Jerusalem and turn Turkey into the dominant power on the Temple Mount.
During the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, Erdogan and their allies in May last year Improved prospects Send troops, including fighter jets, to Jerusalem to fight against Israel on behalf of Hamas.
In recent months, speculation Appear After Turkey and Israel both helped Azerbaijan fight Iran and Russia-backed Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh, Erdogan is reassessing his hostility to Israel. But the arrest of the Oknin family showed that these hopes were frustrated.
This brings us to the U.S. The Oknin family is not the first group of tourists to be arrested and detained in Turkey on unwarranted charges in recent years.A dozen German tourist Arrested for political reasons.
So far, the most famous practice is that the American pastor Andrew Brunson was imprisoned for two years. Before his arrest in October 2016, Brunson served as a pastor in Turkey for two decades. Brunson was arrested and held in inhumane conditions. He was only charged with espionage 18 months after his arrest.
Due to the strategic importance of US-Turkish relations, during most of Brunson’s imprisonment, the Trump administration initially tried to appease Erdogan to ensure Brunson’s release.
in a Meeting In July 2018, between Erdogan and the then president Donald TrumpErdogan said that if Trump convinced the then Israeli prime minister, he would release Brunson Benjamin Netanyahu To ensure the release of Turkish national Ebru Ozkan, who was held in an Israeli prison awaiting trial because of Hamas’ money laundering activities.
Trump called Netanyahu immediately after meeting with Erdogan. Shortly thereafter, Ozcan was deported to Turkey. But feeling the weakness of the United States, Erdogan decided to turn his back on the deal and raise the stakes.
Antonio Masillo/Getty Images
Erdogan asked the United States to extradite Fetullah Gulen, a Turkish clergyman living in Pennsylvania. Erdogan accused him of organizing a failed coup in 2016 to overthrow him.As he said 2017, “Priest [Brunson] We are undergoing trial. Yours is not—he lives in Pennsylvania. …You can give it to him right away. “
Trump realized that he was being blackmailed and announced in August 2018 that he would impose tariffs on Turkish exports to the United States. Brunson was released two months later.
According to reports, Israel is worried that Turkey will ask Israel to make concessions on Jerusalem and Hamas in exchange for the release of the Oknins. But the fact is, it is Turkey, not Israel, that should be worried. Israel can and should take a hard line, rather than succumbing to the blackmail that Erdogan expected. Israel has a great influence on Turkey. First, it can issue travel warnings against Turkey and drastically reduce Israel’s tourism to Turkey.
Then there is the issue of Turkish Airlines’ flight to Tel Aviv. Since 2013, EL AL has been effectively banned from flying to Turkey. Erdogan implemented this ban by prohibiting the flying marshal from carrying weapons. Without armed air police, El Al will not fly. Although these routes are profitable, Israel has so far avoided retaliation. It may retaliate by banning Turkish Airlines from flying to Tel Aviv.
Then there is Jerusalem. Instead of allowing Turkey to expand its hostile activities in the Israeli capital, Israel can ban Turkish NGOs from operating in Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. It is easy for Israel to regard it as a move on behalf of Jordan, and Jordan is worried about the huge role of Turkey’s self-righteousness.
Another area where Israel has great influence over Turkey is natural gas. Israel has established a natural gas alliance with the oil-producing countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Greece and Cyprus. The three governments agreed to build a pipeline to Italy — bypassing Turkey — to sell natural gas to Europe. Earlier this year, the then Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz stated that Israel would cooperate with Turkey on the Eastern Mediterranean Natural Gas Pipeline. As long as the Oknins remain in detention, the decision can and should be revoked.
Another area where Israel can squeeze Turkey is the international unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market.Israel has Consider relaxing restrictions Regarding the export of its drones. Turkey is currently consolidating its position as a major drone supplier. Israel’s move to expand its position in the market will significantly reduce Turkey’s market share, not only reducing Erdogan’s foreign exchange reserves, but also reducing his influence over Russia and other major powers.
Israel’s ability to target Erdogan was not only to ensure that the Oknins were released from Turkish prisons quickly, but also to dispel Erdogan’s ability to believe that he was good for him by taking Israeli hostages. This was to a large extent. It depends on the support of the United States.
Following the Gaza fleet, the United Nations established a committee to investigate what happened. In 2011, the committee largely relieved Israel of responsibility for the deaths of Turkish passengers who attacked the Israeli Defense Forces assault team engaged in a legal naval blockade. This should be the end of Erdogan’s demand for compensation for the dead IHH attackers and the end of his attack on Israel. It should of course put an end to any idea of the Obama administration, that is, it is reasonable to pressure Israel to yield to Erdogan’s demands and to apologize and compensate the families of the IHH attackers who attacked the Israeli Navy.
but it is not the truth. In 2013, the then President Barack Obama Visited Israel. At the end of the visit, Obama, standing on the tarmac before leaving the country on Air Force One, asked Netanyahu to apologize to Erdogan in the presence of Obama. These people sat down in a trailer at the airport. Obama called Erdogan and asked Netanyahu to answer the call. Netanyahu apologized. Israel agreed to pay a sum of money for the dead IHH attackers. Obama left Israel with “diplomatic achievements.”
If the president Joe Biden Choosing to follow in Obama’s footsteps and forcing Israel to accept any demands made by Erdogan to ensure the release of the Oknins, Biden will not simply put the life of every Israeli tourist at risk. He will prove to American allies around the world that the United States will use their weaknesses to harm them with the enemy.
Caroline B. Glick is a senior columnist Heim, Israel And author Israel’s solution: a one-nation plan for peace in the Middle East, (Crown Forum, 2014). From 1994 to 1996, she served as a core member of the negotiating team between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author.
