The interdiction of a Turkish-flagged vessel by Israeli commandos and the deaths of nine Turkish nationals in the melee that followed have seriously damaged relations between the U.S.'s two most important allies in the Middle East and strained relations each has with the U.S.
Harsh anti-Israel rhetoric in Turkey has inflamed passions already stoked by the death of the nine Turks. Israelis, who have made Turkey a favorite vacation spot, will feel unwelcome, and Turkish Jews whose connections to Turkey date back to the Spanish Inquisition are feeling unsafe.
To allow this incident to cause a permanent divorce between Israel and Turkey would be a tragedy. Its people share a history and the common value of democratic government. Peace in the Middle East depends on these two democracies getting along.
The U.S. has to mediate this quarrel as it also tries to move Israel and the Palestinians toward resolving the Gaza standoff. Its task is made more difficult by the fact that U.S.-Turkish relations have been steadily deteriorating since 2003, when the Iraq war, which was universally unpopular in Turkey, turned Turks against the U.S.
Turkish leaders' harsh criticism of Israeli policy toward Gaza played well among the Turkish public even before the flotilla fiasco. Polls also show that a large majority of Turks now have a negative view of the U.S.
It is not a coincidence that the Turkish government's foreign policy is no longer in sync with U.S or Israeli interests. Turkey has abandoned its role as a broker between Israel and Syria, and public distrust of the U.S. has enabled the Turkish government to take an independent tack and oppose, for example, the Obama administration plans to impose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.
A decade of misunderstandings and poor decisions has undermined what was once a strong U.S.-Turkey relationship. If current trends continue, this will be harder to reverse. This would be a tragedy for the U.S., which shares many values with Turks, and for the Turkish people, where democracy is still only 87 years young.
Despite these tensions, the relationship between the peoples of the U.S. and Turkey, and those of Turkey and Israel, must be nurtured. History provides too many bloody examples of what happens when relationships are taken for granted, or worse, ignored. Unless these stress fractures are mended with careful diplomacy, they will result in severe breaks that will be much harder and take much longer to fix.
The bonds between Israel and the U.S. are strong and will endure this episode. But Turkey's relationship with Israel is more tenuous. As Americans, it is in our interest to strengthen our partnership with Turkey and to help it mend its rift with Israel. But the U.S. must also rebuild trust with the Turkish people.
As an American of Turkish descent, I understand the importance of bridge building between the U.S and Turkey. Before coming to the U.S., my father was educated at Istanbul's Robert College, the first American college established in a foreign country. Robert College was the place where many Turks were exposed to American values for the first time. The college taught my father and other young Turkish men and women about democracy at a time when Turkey was itself but an infant democracy.
But modern Turkey is not the same country it was when my father first received his education. Today, Turkey's population is young, dynamic and confident. Most critically for U.S. interests and for its relations with Israel, Turkey is struggling to reconcile secular democratic values with its Islamic heritage. This is unprecedented in history. Turkey is on a fast track to a future that has yet to be defined.
In these tense times, when relationships are frayed between longtime friends and important allies, we must not lose sight of our shared democratic values and interests. It is imperative for leaders on all sides to exercise restraint and not to incite rash action. The U.S. has a critical role to play so that both Israel and Turkey avoid rash steps that could cut ties in important defense and commercial relations. The sooner the two sides are talking again, the better it will be. Today's conflicts must be resolved with diplomacy. Any other option would be a tragedy for Israel, Turkey and the United States.
Oz Bengur is a Baltimore businessman and former Democratic congressional candidate. His e-mail is bengur@pjpa-llc.com.