Arr! Turkey be gettin' chummy with Iran after praisin' the swashbucklin' Hamas 'mujahideen.' Now, they be tryin' to make amends on crucial matters.
2023-11-14
Arr, it appears Turkey be makin' a mighty effort to find the right path, betwixt the siren call of them Arab mates and its commitment to NATO. Aye, and don't forget their questionable affection for Hamas! Tis a treacherous sea they sail, me hearties!
Turkey's stance on the Israel-Hamas war has led to closer ties with Iran, as both nations seek to resolve long-standing issues. Traditionally, Turkey and Iran have competed to champion the Palestinian cause, but the post-Arab Spring Middle Eastern order has given them more opportunities to express their political ire towards Israel. Turkey has found itself at odds with its NATO allies, who have backed Israel's right to defend itself, while Turkey questions Israel and defends the Palestinians. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went a step further and defended the Hamas terrorists, referring to them as "mujahideen" or freedom fighters. This stance has caused tension with Israel, with the Israeli Foreign Ministry condemning Erdogan's rhetoric. However, Turkey's more hardline stance has endeared Ankara to Tehran, leading to a potential rapprochement. This is not the first time Turkey and Iran have explored closer relations, as they previously attempted engagement in 2009 and 2010 following incidents with Israel. Iranian diplomatic overtures following the recent attacks in Tehran have also targeted Turkey, along with Qatar, Russia, and the United Nations. Turkey has maintained a nebulous role in the conflict due to its membership in NATO and ties to the United States, but it has also kept communication with both Hamas and Israel. Erdogan has criticized Western powers for supporting Israel's operation in Gaza and has claimed that over 11,000 Palestinians have been killed, a number disputed by the Biden administration. The United Nations considers the Gaza Health Ministry's numbers reliable but has not commented on the lack of distinction between civilian and combatant deaths.