There is a discrepancy between Turkey and the West on the Iranian attack against Israel. EU foreign ministers and the G7 group of Western leaders unanimously condemned Iran. NATO's statement to the G7 was in the same concept as well. Turkey, a NATO member, called for restraint and blatantly placed responsibility on Israel and its leadership.
Turkey a NATO member that retains close relations with Russia, China, and Iran called for restraint. Its rhetoric against Israel did not go unnoticed. It is framed in its aspiration to undertake the leading role in the Arab world. What did go unnoticed is that Turkey's posture is in sharp contrast with NATO and the EU which assigned to Turkey an active role in the Iranian-Israeli confrontation. Once again, the West turns a blind eye to Turkey, the elephant in the room.
The first Iranian attack against Israel from its soil should be approached with seriousness by the West. Iran did not just test Israel's readiness and defense. It was indeed a projection of its military capabilities against Israel and the West. Iran's missile arsenal is the largest and the most diverse in the Middle East, capable of bearing precision strikes. Iranian munitions have been improved while its missiles are inherently capable of carrying nuclear payloads. The latter did not go unnoticed by the coalition of states that along with Israel repelled the Iranian missiles and drones.
Iran informed Turkey in advance of its operation against Israel. Meanwhile, Washington assigned to Turkey the role of mediator between Iran and the USA and Israel and Iran to de-escalate the tension. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken thanked Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for his ongoing engagement to prevent further escalation in the region. The day after, Turkey continues its talks with Hamas' Haniye in Doha, where Haniyeh resides while it raises its anguish over a possible regional war.
Turkey's posture is neither ambivalent nor questionable. It is about a well-known policy since the WWII. With the sole aim of serving its interests by any means, Turkey for ages has adopted a cynical policy that includes bargaining with everyone. The highest bidder wins. And as the wanton breaking of agreements and the constant demand for more trade-offs describes the timeless foreign policy of the Turks, the West not only chooses to overlook this pattern of behavior but rewards it by giving Turkey a prominent role in crisis management.
While the West has condemned Iran and decided on further actions against it, it once again remains silent on Turkey. Turkey has not only adopted a fierce rhetoric against Israel but shamelessly expressed its concerns over violations of international law regarding the alleged Israeli airstrike on a building next to the Iranian embassy in Damascus. However, it does not show signs of concerns regarding international law or a possible spillover of a regional conflict when it comes to its own actions as the incursions in Syria; the illegal occupation of 37% of the Republic of Cyprus since 1974; the persecutions of Kurds; the Turkish threats against Greece's sovereignty and of course Turkey's close cooperation with terrorists as Hamas and ISIS.
The Iranian attack of April 13 against Israel is a unique opportunity for introspection on behalf of the liberal world on how it wishes to confront rogue states such as Iran and its allies. Yet, the elephant in the room remains intact.
