Palestinian Conflict and Turkey: A Policy of Balance

Abstract

Turkey, as a country built on the heritage of the Ottoman Empire dominated most of the Middle East region for a quite a big part time, has always been interested in Palestinian conflict which has been a chronic problem in the region until today and this issue has always been a priority in its foreign policy. Although Turkey finds the claims of Arab countries more acceptable in the Palestinian conflict, Turkey has avoided damaging relations with both the West and Israel in the events regarding the issue. Despite siding with Palestine in times of crises between two countries, Turkey has maintained its relations of nearly all dimensions including economic and social interactions with Israel, which is the only non-Muslim state in the region. In this article, it is claimed that the policy of Turkey towards Palestinian conflict has primarily been designated upon a balance between the parts of the question. The study also provides a general projection of the development of relations with Israel, in parallel with the ongoing process of Turkey's position on Palestinian conflict and the fluctuant policy pursued on this issue.