The applause for PM will not last long

I’m sure Prime Minister Erdoğan will be carried on shoulders back in Turkey. He will be applauded as a giant leader next to our Arab brothers and a real friend. He will collect points as a hero and brave leader for his response to brisk criticism from the Israeli president.

But we should not forget that after a while the applause will subside gradually and Erdoğan’s gesture might even be forgotten one day. The Arabs will return to not embracing Turkey and Erdoğan’s deed will be forgotten.

The scene in Davos was very interesting.

To tell the truth, Erdoğan’s speech was well done. He touched on important points. He put forth righteous motives. But he exhibited such a reaction, deliberately or inadvertently, that the important balance in Turkey’s external politics was disturbed. Peres’s speech in itself also was bearing satisfactory elements. But Peres agitated Erdoğan with his way of speaking and acting. He merely spoke in a reprehending way. He stepped on Erdoğan’s sore spot. To tell the truth, Erdoğan stepped into this diplomatic trap. Maybe he remembered the situation Erbakan found himself in with Kaddafi.

Whatever happened happened

But Erdoğan could not bring across his righteous views as he became angry and even worse with his attitude he put Turkey in a position like a lawyer defending Hamas. From a diplomatic point of view he did something that should not be done. He became angry, even fierce and put himself in a position of an arguing prime minister. By abandoning the meeting and showing such an aggressive reaction, Erdoğan put himself and his country in a risky position.

Even though there was no need for it, he all of a sudden changed the Arab-Israeli fight into a Turkish-Israeli fight. In a international political arena he changed the issue into a street brawl.

Peres calling Erdoğan to sort of making up to him after the incidence, shows that Israel does not want this crisis to expand. But let’s not jump to conclusions. If the prime minister insistently continues this approach, and does not choose to soften the incidence, then important changes might occur.

For example:

w Turkey will be progressively identified with the Hamas-Iran-Syria triangle. It will be interpreted as a slowly drifting away from Israel-United States- European Union-Egypt-Saudi Arabia camp. It will become impossible for Turkey to take on an impartial attitude in the region and play a moderating role.

w Even if relations with Israel are not ceased, the color will start to change from now on and turn toward dislike. If not balanced immediately, relations between Israel and Turkey will not recover easily. The reflections will be seen in Washington and on the money markets.

w Eyes will be on the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, from now on and the impression spread that Erdoğan wants to carry Turkey in a different direction. Erdoğan may receive applause and gain votes for this incident but he has taken on risk on an international platform.

The prime minister does not see clearly when he becomes angry.

Maybe he has done it on purpose.

Maybe he has invested in elections.

Maybe he was overrun by feelings.

Whatever it is, in the end it came down on the panel’s moderator.