Is Turkey breaking out of her “Splendid Isolation”?

TURKEY - In Brief 27 Jun 2016 by Atilla Yesilada

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In as much as the policy stance is defended in terms of high-flouting ideals and values, Turkey’s foreign policy stance in the region has largely been by necessity “Splendid Isolation” as described by presidential spokesperson Mr. Ibrahim Kalin. From Assad, to Sisi to Putin, Mr. Erdogan managed to make enemies one way or the other, ditching the previous and largely beneficial foreign policy masterminded by former premier Prof Davutoglu called “zero problems with neighbors”. Yesterday, hours after Netanyahu and Turkish PM Yildirim announced an official reconciliation between their respective countries, another rare event transpired. The mighty Erdogan dispatched a letter to Putin expressing his regret for the downing of the Russian jet plane and extending his condolences to the families of the stricken pilots. I read in the twitter feed that Turkey stands ready to prosecute the man who brags to have murdered one of the Russian pilots, and even to pay compensation for the incident. By evening hours, a reliable pro-AKP TV news channel was suggesting that a rapprochement with Egypt might be underway, as well. Is Turkey breaking out her Splendid Isolation, which would compel the Cosmic Strategist to revise his largely bearish scenario for the Turkish assets? Not so fast, I say. The deal with Israel is firm and mutually beneficial. Israel gets potential access for its off-shore natural gas and high-tech goods, as well as depth against its security threats. Turkey gets compensation for the victims of the heinous attack on the aid ship Blue Marmara and boasting rights for the privilege to deliver humanitarian aid to Moslem Gaza Strip. Win-win all around, but hardly a game chan...