A potential thaw in Turkey-Israel relations?

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is set to visit Ankara in mid-March, which would make him the first Israeli president to visit Turkey since 2007. This trip comes as Turkish President Erdogan attempts to mend relations with countries in the region – such as Israel, Egypt, and the UAE – in order to end Ankara’s diplomatic isolation and give a much needed boost to the Turkish economy.

Israel, however, is treading carefully, and will expect to see Turkey address key concerns such as Ankara’s support for Hamas and Erdogan’s frequent antisemitic rhetoric. Israel has also made it clear that any potential improvement in relations with Turkey will not come at the expense of its alliance with Greece and Cyprus.

Expert Aykan Erdemir joins our host Thanos Davelis to talk about Turkey’s relations with Israel and the potential for a thaw in relations. We also look at Erdogan’s recent visit to the UAE and Turkey’s efforts to normalize relations with the Gulf state.

Dr. Aykan Erdemir is the senior director of the Turkey program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former Turkish lawmaker.