Shift in the Turkish Foreign Policy in the Middle East?

In order to better highlight the shifts in Turkey’s policies towards Israel during the AKP government Damla Aras began by examining the history of relations, within the general context of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Middle East, until the 2002 elections. She then went on to discuss the developments in the bilateral relations during the AKP government and concluded by appraising the future of the Turkish-Israeli relations. Ms Aras explained how Turkey’s relations with Israel improved remarkably during the 1990s. However, after the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) success in the 2002 elections, Turkish-Israeli relations have fluctuated, along with Turkey’s general Middle Eastern policy.