With Israel deal, Turkey looks for way back in to Middle East

In a blur of diplomatic activity on Monday Turkey appeared to bury the hatchet with Israel and Russia, restoringing ties with the former that broke down following the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident. This saw nine Turkish activists and a Turkish-American citizen killed aboard an aid flotilla.

On the same day a spokesman for Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the president "regretted" the death of a Russian pilot killed after being shot down on the Syrian-Turkish border in November.

Previously, Turkey claimed the plane violated Turkish airspace.

The two-pronged move is a clear attempt to draw a line under what has been a disastrous chapter of foreign policy that saw Turkey’s allies morph into enemies as events on the ground moved ever faster.

Chief among the challenges facing Ankara are the endurance of the Assad regime in Damascus, the spread of powerful Kurdish militias in northern Syria and the reality that Turkey's back yard is now a playground for a multitude of interests and powers.

Further afield, wars in Gaza, Libya and the return of the military in Egypt have left Turkey bereft of influence in the region, less than a decade after it envisioned itself as being in a position to shape Middle Eastern affairs to its liking.

Analysts say the Israel agreement, months in the making and which followed harsh accusations at the height of the standoff, will benefit both sides.

In January, Erdogan said Turkey and Israel needed each other, marking a sea change in his opinion from two years ago when he said: “[Israelis] have no conscience, no honour, no pride.”

To lay the groundwork for Monday's announcement, Erdogan spoke with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas at the weekend, passing on word of Turkey's plans to embark on a series of humanitarian projects in Gaza.

Turkish aid is expected to arrive at Israeli ports this weekend ahead of the Eid holiday next week.

In return, Israel will pay $20 million (€18 million) to the families of those killed on the Mavi Marmara, while the soldiers involved in the attack won't run the threat of being charged by Turkish courts. Turkey may also help facilitate the return of the bodies of Israeli soldiers and civilian hostages currently held by Hamas.

Reports by pro-government Turkish media claiming Erdogan has “brought Israel to its knees” and succeeded in lifting the Gaza blockade – a false claim – mask Turkey’s pressing need for access to international markets.

Having seen Russian food and tourism markets closed, Ankara desperately needed Israeli natural gas and tourists to fill its resort hotels.

Bilateral trade between Turkey and Israel is worth about €3.6 billion.

"In addition to the very important natural gas deal it might seize out of this deal – being clear that such a major project could not be struck with Israel without fixing relations – Turkey is set to use the deal also to place it back in centre stage in regional politics, with possibly a restoration of ties with Egypt next in line," said Louis Fishman, an assistant professor at Brooklyn College, City University of New York and expert on Turkish-Israeli relations.

“A deal with Israel is also likely to open new doors in Washington, which it needs more than ever, especially with the cold welcome Erdogan received during his last visit to the US Capitol,” he said.

Turkey went a step further on Monday evening by appearing to apologise to Moscow for the shooting down of a Russian warplane on the Syrian-Turkish border last November that killed its pilot.

"I want to once again express my sympathy and deep condolences to the family of the Russian pilot who died and I say: 'I'm sorry,'"Mr the Kremlin reported Erdogan as saying just hours after the announcement of the Israeli deal.

Turkish media, however, reported Erdogan’s comments as going no further than him expressing “deep regret”, and said no compensation would be paid to Russia.

Turkey's foreign minister is expected in the Russian Black Sea town of Sochi for a summit on Friday to help put to bed seven months of tensions and economic damage widely perceived to have benefited neither side.