Trump attempted to invest his good relationship with Netanyahu, seeking for good relations with Turkey
Ramallah – North-Press Agency
Ahmad Ismail
The Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" has disclosed the interference of the U.S. President Donald Trump in the summer of 2018 with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to release a Turkish citizen who was arrested during her visit to Jerusalem by the Shin Bet (Israel's internal security service), which raised many questions about the reality of the deal that took place.
Why would Trump do that? And for what? Is it a bilateral deal between Ankara and Washington, or is it a triple that includes Tel Aviv as well?
Haaretz said that a new book on Trump's foreign policy revealed the details of the deal which took place between Turkey, the United States and Israel in the summer of 2018, which included the release of the Turkish citizen "Ebru Ozkan,” who was accused by Shin Bet of working to help Hamas, at that time.
The book, prepared by "Washington Post" reporters for the White House affairs Phillip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, indicated that in return, Turkey released the U.S. pastor Andrew Bronson, who was arrested on charges of involvement in the attempted coup against the Turkish President Erdogan, in summer of 2016.
For his part, the Israeli political analyst Yaqoub Ezra assured North-Press that there is no much available information on this regard, but he considered that the deal falls in the context of Trump's attempt to invest his "good" relationship with Netanyahu in order to open the door to restoring good relations with Turkey.
"You know that there is a state of tension in the U.S.-Turkish relations. Therefore, Trump tried to strengthen relations with Turkey through a deal in which Netanyahu served him," Ezra said. Hence, it is understood from Ezra's answer that the release of the Turkish citizen appeared to be a bilateral deal between Washington and Ankara, while Israel played the facilitator role.
Regarding the reality of the relationship between Turkey and Israel in the meantime, Israeli analyst Yaqoub Ezra confirmed in an interview with North-Press, that despite political tension between the two countries, especially between Erdogan and Netanyahu, against Turkey's support for Hamas and Turkish military intervention in northern Syrian .. However, the relations between them continue at the level of security cooperation, as well as the economic level, which he described as "great.”
Regarding the future of the Turkish-Israeli relations, he pointed out that it continues despite the tension at all levels, considering that "a clear evidence" on the depth of relations between the two sides. Israeli tourism to Turkey sets a record, in addition to the high rate of Israeli imports from Turkey, and vice versa as well.
Ezra also stressed on the "very close cooperation" between Turkey and Israel in all military, political and economic fields, believing that the tense relationship state – somewhat – is on the way to improvement as long as the Palestinian issue has witnessed a kind of calmness, indicating that this relationship was not affected at all, and that the Trump-Erdogan deal aimed to provide an opportunity to stave off the political tension.
"Currently, the Israeli embassy is operating in Turkey, and our ambassador and consul are there. There are important diplomatic, commercial and military ties, and they are on the right track right now," Ezra added.