Turkey did vote against resolution of partition plan of British Mandate of Palestine but when Israel applied for UN membership, Turkey abstained from voting. Turkey was the first Muslim majority to recognize the state of Israel in 1949.
Even today Turkish Ambassador is sitting in Tel Aviv, Israel[1]. But when UAE (first Gulf Arab nation and third Arab country overall) has signed a peace deal with Israel then Turkey is threatening to suspend diplomatic relations with the UAE over the UAE-Israel peace deal. There is no denying that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is considered to be anti-Israel and the Turkey-Israel relations has gone downhill in last few years. But it doesn’t mean that Arab states follow his anti-Israeli policy.
It is believed that Erdoğan is trying to revive the old Ottoman empire and Ottomans have ruled Arab land fore centuries and it was only during 1st world war that Arabs got full freedom from Ottomans. In 1818, a Saudi King was beheaded in Ottoman capital and for these historic reasons, Arab-Turkey relationship has never been good. It were the Arab states which had been involved in many Arab-Israeli wars and Turkey was a mute spectator when Israeli tanks & fighters were creating havoc in Egypt, Syria, Jordan etc. Now Gulf Arab states faces biggest threat from Iran and it is obvious for them to give topmost priority to their national security. And these states have to create an alternative economy which will not be dependent on Oil revenues. And UAE and Turkey are on opposite sides on issue of Qatar, civil wars in Libya etc.
What Turkey had done in 1949, UAE is doing in 2020 but still Erdoğan is unhappy. He wants to become champion of global Muslim causes that's why he wants to became champion of anti-Israeli group. He thinks that Arabs must follow the Turkish leadership and Turkey is the natural leader of Muslims. Its obvious that Gulf Arab states (led by Saudi Arabia & UAE) doesn’t like Turkish approval of revival of neo-Ottoman Empire. Saudi Arabia thinks that they are the natural leader of Muslims as they are custodians of holy sites of Macca & Madina. It is expected in coming years many more states like Bahrain, Oman, Yemen and may be Saudi Arabia may follow the foot steps of UAE to recognize Israel. This would be a blow to Turkish and Iranian anti-Israeli policies. UAE has not abandoned the Palestinian cause and they remain committed to a new Palestinian state. But it doesn’t mean that one has to cut their all ties with Israel for sake of Palestine.
If Erdoğan is serious then Turkey must derecognize Israel and cut its diplomatic ties with Israel and then only he will have any moral authority to question UAE-Israel peace deal. And Erdoğan is no one to decide the foreign police of any sovereign state like UAE. Today, Arabs are powerful and resourceful to resist any future Turkish domination of Muslim world.
No comments:
Post a Comment