Turkey: Manoeuvring Against Israel Over Palestine

Last Friday, Istanbul hosted the International Conference on Palestinian Solidarity. Amongst those present were the International Union for Muslim Scholars run by Yusuf Al-Kardavi, many members of Parliament and the Turkish Assembly, and the Palestine Friendship Group.

Journalists who focused on the separate seating of men and women at the meeting missed these important developments:

One of the MPs of the ruling Justice and Development Party, Zeyid Arslan, who is also the Chairman of the TBMM-Palestine Friendship Group, said, ‘As long as Hamas, which came to power through its people, is not seen as the representative of its people but as a terrorist group, solution of the Palestinian question is impossible.’ Indeed, he went further and accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians: “Everyone who is silent over Israel’s committing genocide is going to pay the price before history.”

So three years after the leader of the JDP, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Hamas political director, Khalied Meshaal, this is important because after Erdogan-Mashal meeting in 2006 and four months after Erdogan’s walk-out on Israeli President Shimon Peres at the Davos summit, the Justice and Development Party is still standing against Israel's line on Palestine and Hamas..

Other political leaders joined in. Yusuf Al-Kardavi called on Muslims to boycott American and Israeli goods. Raid Salah, head of the Islamic Movement, said: “We are going to maintain our struggle until we form the Palestinian state and declare Jerusalem as its capital.” Emanuel Musellem, head of the Catholic Church in Palestine, joined via teleconference to blame Israel for pressing of Muslims and Christians into a "Jewish" existence.

Thus, the political dance --- hastened by Israel's invasion --- continues. Is Turkey, led by Erdogan, prepared to step away from Israel or, given its long-term strategic links, will it continue to discreetly hold Tel Aviv's hand?