Gaza conflict ends to detriment of Turkey: Analysts

Political analysts believe that Israel’s violent offensive on Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip has ended to the detriment of Turkey as it failed to play a role in resolving the conflict.

In an article published in the The New York Times, the analysts, mostly from Turkey, argued that Ankara’s standing as an spirant for leverage in regional issues diminished since it had no say in the process that led to a cease-fire between the two sides.

The analysts stressed that while Turkey became a vocal defender of Palestinians and a critic of the Israeli regime, “it had to take a back seat to Egypt on the stage of high diplomacy.”

“Egypt can talk with both Hamas and Israel,” university professor Ersin Kalaycioglu said, adding, “Turkey, therefore, is pretty much left with a position to support what Egypt foresees, but nothing more.”

The analysts also criticized Turkish Prime Minister Reccep Tayyeb Erdogan for being initially silent on the outbreak of the Israeli attacks on Gaza and being slow to address the offensive publicly.

“While most of the region’s leaders rushed to the nearest microphone to condemn Israel, the normally loquacious prime minister was atypically mute,” said Aaron Stein from a research center based in Istanbul.

Stein added that while Erdogan was touring a factory that makes tanks, Egypt President Mohamed Morsi had “put his stamp on world reaction by kicking out the Israeli ambassador and dispatching his prime minister to visit Gaza.”

The conflict in Gaza apparently represented the “litmus test” of Ankara, which is seeking to turn into a regional power, the article concluded.

The Israeli regime and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas reached an Egypt-mediated ceasefire agreement on Wednesday.

The Israeli regime’s deadly offensive on the blockaded Gaza Strip killed over 160 Palestinians and injured some 1,200 others in eight days.

In retaliation, Palestinian resistance fighters continued to pour rockets and missiles into the Israeli cities, killing at least five Israelis, including one soldier.