TKP General Secretary Okuyan on Turkey-Israel relations: We are being dragged into a new regional game

Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) General Secretary Kemal Okuyan shared his assessments regarding developments in Syria, relations between Turkey and Israel, and the discussions surrounding a "new peace process."

Okuyan argued that the narrative voiced by government circles that "we are disrupting Israel's plans" is not credible.

Stating that Israel is one of the countries that has gained the most from the change of power in Syria, Okuyan said, "The fact that Turkey is among the winners in Syria, or is portrayed as such, does not negate the reality that Israel has also achieved a massive gain."

ASSESSMENT ON TURKEY-ISRAEL TENSION

According to Okuyan, there are conflicts of interest between Turkey and Israel, such as regional competition and the struggle to gain an advantage in the division of roles by the US. However, Okuyan noted that the commonalities between the two countries should not be ignored.

The TKP General Secretary stated, "Both countries are allies of the US. Both countries want to break Iran's regional influence. Both countries are partners in the imposition of a new version of Pax-Americana across a vast geography."

Okuyan argued that the tension between Turkey and Israel is not so much about interests that are entirely at odds, but rather a "manageable" competition whose boundaries are set by the US. "When you look closely, you can see that the rivalry between Turkey and Israel has limits. These limits have been drawn by the US," said Okuyan, asserting that the tension can be kept under control under current conditions.

Touching upon the political future of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Okuyan said that a more "reasonable"-appearing Israeli administration could replace him. Okuyan assessed that in such a scenario, a process where tensions are more easily controlled could begin.

Okuyan also drew a connection between the change of power in Syria and the discussions on the peace process that have resurfaced in Turkey. Stating that Israel uses the Kurdish dynamic in the region as a trump card, Okuyan argued that this situation should be addressed in conjunction with the regional goals of the US and the UK.

Criticizing Abdullah Öcalan's recent messages, Okuyan drew attention to the role Öcalan seeks to assume regarding Iran and his approach toward the restructuring of the Republic. Okuyan said, "At this point, Öcalan is volunteering for the task of dealing with Iran."

Okuyan suggested that the ongoing process cannot be read as Israel's regional plans being disrupted, but rather that we are entering a new order primarily shaped by the US and the UK.

Israel's game is not being disrupted here. On the contrary, we are being dragged into a new game established by the US and the UK in the region.

Among the reasons why he characterized this situation as "being dragged," Okuyan listed that the AKP government cannot foresee all the consequences of the process, that the US does not have the power to realize all of its goals in the region, and that regional competition deepens as the cards are reshuffled.

At the end of his statement, criticizing the approach of a segment of the opposition to the peace process, Okuyan noted that some circles are making assessments that Turkey will democratize or that progress will be made regarding the right of nations to self-determination.