Turkey blocking Israel-Nato military drills until permanent Gaza truce

Turkish official sources revealed to Middle East Eye on Monday that Turkey will block any new cooperation between Israel and NATO, including military exercises, until a permanent ceasefire agreement is reached in the Gaza Strip. This move demonstrates Turkey's strong opposition to Israel's actions in the Gaza conflict.

According to a report in the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot over the weekend, Turkey has already blocked Israel from participating in NATO's annual "Resilience and Contingency Preparedness" exercise scheduled for September in Bulgaria. Two Israeli sources also confirmed to Middle East Eye that Ankara had indeed blocked Israel's participation in the exercise. This illustrates Turkey's clear stance on the matter.

One source speculated that the recent move may be related to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements, in which he vowed to protect the Druze and Kurdish communities in Syria. Turkey views these statements, as well as Israel's military presence in Syria, as aimed at dividing the country, thereby angering Ankara. However, a Turkish official source denied that the move was related to Syria, stating: "We have been blocking new contacts between Israel and NATO for more than a year. However, activities stemming from Israel's status in NATO continue."

The source added that Ankara has veto power within NATO, which operates through unanimous decisions, except for agreements already reached before the war. The source emphasized: "We will not allow new or additional decisions regarding Israel to be made within NATO, or new activities to be organized, until a permanent ceasefire is achieved in Gaza and obstacles to humanitarian aid are removed." Ankara had previously blocked Israel from obtaining NATO observer status but reversed this position in 2023 during a reconciliation process between the two countries.

Relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated sharply since the meeting between Erdoğan and Netanyahu in New York in September 2023, intended to symbolize reconciliation. Following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks and Israel's subsequent war on Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 48,000 Palestinians, Ankara has intensified its criticism of the Netanyahu government. This has led to a series of actions, including legal measures and trade sanctions, especially after the Turkish local elections, where Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party lost some support due to its perceived weak response to the Gaza war. Ankara has also joined the International Court of Justice case against Israel, accusing the country of committing genocide in Gaza.