BY AMANDA PAUL
TODAY'S ZAMAN- The world has reacted with shock and disgust at the actions of the Israeli government. Israeli efforts to justify itself by claiming it acted in self-defense are unacceptable. Even the Israeli people have been left reeling by this totally uncalled for murderous act by their leadership.
Clearly Turkey's relations with Israel will be severely damaged, coming at a time when the relationship was already at an all-time low. What the end result will be remains to be seen. It is very hard to see where the two countries will go from here. There can be no excuses for what has taken place. Israel cannot be allowed to get away with yet another act of uncalled for brutality.
However, Turkey's image in the region may even take on a higher profile as a result as Turkey is at the center of this crisis. This is a big turnaround to the situation only a few years ago. Under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Turkey has revolutionized its foreign policy and no more so than in the Middle East. Turkey no longer wants to have its foreign policy dictated by others, no more blood brother relationships. Turkey wants partnerships that are based on equality and shared interests and goals.
To this end, the AK Party has injected new vibrancy into its relations with the Middle East and Turkey is emerging as an increasingly powerful and influential player, with Turkish diplomacy scoring numerous success stories there. Turkey has been able to make headway in the turbulent waters of the Middle East because of the growing lack of US legitimacy and lack of EU influence. And Turkey is popular -- a survey carried out by an Istanbul-based think tank, the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV), shows that 75 percent of those interviewed (from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Syria) had a very positive view of Turkey and its influence in the Middle East.
Turkey's mediation efforts in the region have been highly appreciated and have had a very positive impact, with a number of countries wanting Turkey to play a bigger role. Turkey is an increasingly popular destination for travelers from the region, with round 2 million visitors in 2009, and Turkish TV and movies are increasingly popular.
However, Turkey could still do more. In Iran, for example, where there is a perception among ordinary Iranians that the only issue of interest to Turkey and to the West is the nuclear one when clearly there are others issues that the West should concern itself with. Turkey has a great opportunity with Iran and Ankara should use it to the benefit of all Iranians. For example, Turkey could make more gestures regarding human rights, women's rights and freedoms in the country, which is not the case now.
The question is whether this shift of focus comes at the expense of the country's EU ambitions. However, Ankara's multi-faceted diplomacy and the strengthening of Turkey's status as a soft power in the region are not necessarily at odds with its EU membership objective. On the contrary, it should facilitate Turkey's bid.