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Traditional Conflicts and the Role of State Actors in the MENA Region

Traditional Conflicts and the Role of State Actors in the MENA Region. By Christina Zygakis -Youth Sector, Greek Association for Atlantic & European Cooperation. A Focus on Turkey’s Stance in the Palestine Question. Latest Developments. Violence.

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Traditional Conflicts and the Role of State Actors in the MENA Region

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  1. Traditional Conflicts and the Role of State Actors in the MENA Region By Christina Zygakis -Youth Sector, Greek Association for Atlantic & European Cooperation A Focus on Turkey’s Stance in the Palestine Question

  2. Latest Developments

  3. Violence • 1 June 2012: Gunfight on Gaza border Death of 1 Palestinian militant • 18 June 2012: Cross-border attack from Egypt to S. Israel by militants Deaths: 1 Israeli civilian + 3 militants Israeli airstrike against Gaza Rocket launch by Palestinian militant groups into Israel Injury of several Israelis Truce brokered by Egypt

  4. Violence • 28 June 2012: Assassination of Hamas operative in Damascus • 19 July 2012: Suicide bombing against Israeli tourist bus in Bulgaria 6 killed

  5. Political Developments • 6 June 2012: Order for the construction of 851 new homes in West Bank • 8 June 2012: Abbas: Expression of willingness to accept UN non-member state status for Palestine • 13 June 2012: Criticism against Netanyahu by Israeli State Comptroller upon the 2010 flotilla incident • 21 June 2012: Report backed by UK government finds Israeli treatment towards Palestinian children in breach of Geneva Convention and the UN Convention on Child Rights

  6. Political Developments • 25 June 2012: Launch of Putin’s visit to Israel and the West Bank • Early July 2012: Al-Jazeera documentary evidencing poisoning of Arafat • 10 July 2012: Release of Palestinian footballer Al-Sarsak • mid-July 2012: Israeli order to demolish 8 W-B villages • 19 July 2012: Release of Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Speaker Dweik

  7. Political Developments • Egyptian Presidency’s moves towards Palestinians • 18 July 2012: Mursi – Abbas talks • 19 July 2012: Mursi- Meshaal talks • 25 July 2012: Mursi-Haniyeh talks

  8. TURKEY & THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION

  9. State Actors in the Palestinian Question • Contemporary Palestine Question The epicenter of the general Arab-Israeli conflict Numerous states involved

  10. Turkey • Events that shaped Turkey’s contemporary Middle East approach: • The end of the Cold War • 1990-1991 Gulf War • Escalation of the Kurdish issue • Erbakan’ s 1996 election as the first Islamist Prime Minister in Turkey’s history Turkey-Arab world & Turkey-Israel relations flourished

  11. Turkey • November 2002: AKP in power Changes in Turkish grand strategy in the Middle East Basis: -No need for a strategy aligned with the US / EU -Soft Power -”Zero problems with neighbours”

  12. Turkey • AKP decision not to align with EU / US in the Middle East Constant deterioration of Turkish-Israeli relations since 2002 Palestine Question at the centre

  13. Turkey • Good relations with Hamas instead

  14. Turkey • Events - 2006: Turkey’s invitation to Hamas & Fatah for talks in Ankara Further complication of the Palestine Question - 2006: War in Lebanon Turkish criticism upon Israel’s “brutal operations”, systematic use of aggressive rhetoric by Turkish politicians, wide coverage of civilian targets on the media. Absolute anti-Israeli position throughout the crisis. Anti-Semitism in Turkey against Israel

  15. Turkey • 2007: Turkey brokers Syria-Israel negotiations Failure to reach agreement upon the Golan Heights Question - Israel-Turkey relations too deteriorated already Israeli doubts upon Turkey’s impartiality • 2009: Davos World Economic Forum: warm episode between Erdogan-Peres

  16. Turkey • 2009: Turkish popular TV show shows Israeli soldiers shooting children • 2009: Exclusion of Israel from Turkish joint military aerial exercise • 2010: Danny Ayalon’s televised humiliation towards the Turkish Ambassador to Israel

  17. Turkey • 2010: Flotilla attack • Withdrawal of Turkish Ambassador • Demand for apology by Erdogan vs. Refusal by Israel • Denial of access to the Turkish airspace to Israeli military aircraft • AKP very popular at home • Elevation of Turkey’s image in the Arab World

  18. Turkey

  19. Turkey • Rise of Turkish nationalism against Israel • Voices of nationalist groups for embargo on all Israeli products • Decline of Israel-Turkey trade

  20. Turkey

  21. Turkey Doubt upon Turkey’s suitability as mediator for the Middle East

  22. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS

  23. General Conclusions • Turkey’s bias in favor of the Palestinians is an obstacle to the role it aspires to play • Provocative precedent only increases bias • The change of strategy of the post-Arab Spring countries might challenge Turkey’s ambitions regarding the Palestinian Question specifically and the Middle East generally • An upcoming Egypt-Turkey competition?

  24. THE END

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