President Erdoğan's comments, a turn from the first attitudes towards the Israel-Hamas conflict

2023-10-31 18:46:20, Kosova & Bota CNA

President Erdo?an's comments, a turn from the first attitudes towards the

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's growing support for Hamas has prompted Israel to withdraw diplomats from Ankara. Analysts say that through a decision aimed at avoiding criticism from Western allies, President Erdogan has taken a step towards approving Sweden's request for NATO membership. However, experts warn that Mr. Erdogan may have made wrong calculations on this matter.

At a mass rally on Saturday in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stepped up support for Hamas, reiterating that Hamas is not a terrorist organization but a liberation movement.

The Turkish leader warned that Turkey could intervene in Gaza, a comment that was met with great enthusiasm by those attending the rally.

In response to Mr Erdogan's statement, Israel withdrew diplomats from Turkey, taking a step back in the newly improved diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"I think it is very clear that these statements simply symbolize the end of efforts to improve relations. This process of normalizing relations, which began in 2022, has now ended," says Gallia Lindenstrauss from the Institute for the Study of National Security Issues.

Last month in New York, President Erdogan met for the first time with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

After the Hamas attack on Israel, President Erdogan was more restrained in his rhetoric because he was trying to secure a mediating role. But when Ankara was left out of diplomatic efforts, Mr. Erdogan stepped up public rhetoric in support of Hamas.

"He understood that this will not bring any change in his regional role. So he chose to use the situation to increase support within the country instead of making futile attempts to become a mediator in this conflict," says international relations analyst Ilhan Uzgel.

Given opposition protests against Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip, Mr Erdogan's escalation of rhetoric is also seen as an attempt to retain political support from his religious base.

But in a positive gesture to the West, the Turkish leader sent a bill to parliament to admit Sweden to NATO, a process Turkey has so far delayed.

Some experts say that Mr. Erdogan is trying to balance his positions.

"On the one hand, he is trying to please the public, the electorate and the Muslim population. On the other hand, he is giving something to the West by supporting Sweden's NATO membership process. But I don't think that will work because he is making very fiery statements, criticizing the United States and Israel. He's getting over it. He is supporting Hamas," says analyst Sezin Oney from the PolitikYol portal.

With the intensification of the offensive of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, experts say that Israel has been restrained in its reactions to Mr. Erdogan, prioritizing efforts to contain the spread of the conflict.

"Israel does not want an expansion of tensions with its neighbors due to the current situation, creating new tensions with Turkey. So I think the government of Israel will do everything possible to avoid a direct confrontation with Turkey. Of course, it will closely follow Turkey's rhetoric and actions," says expert Galla Lindenstrauss.

As tensions escalate, Turkey's Western allies are largely ignoring Mr. Erdogan's rhetoric, but some experts warn that his words in support of Hamas are unlikely to be forgotten./ VOA