Turkish-Israeli relations :the deterioration of alliance between 2003 and 2013 : implication on the politics of the Middle East

The relationship between Turkey and Israel represents one of the most fascinating phenomena in the Middle East. Turkey was the first Muslim state recognising the existence of the state of Israel in 1949. Since then the partnership has been developing throughout the past century, leading to the establishment of a strategic alliance. There is a general understanding that the major decline in Turkish-Israeli relations was caused by the Israeli attack on the occupied territory of Gaza. Operation Cast Lead was a three weeks Israeli offensive starting in December 2008 until January 2009. This thesis aims to examine the issue from a broader, and hence more complex, perspective and assesses the decisive causes leading to the break of the partnership. The master thesis will identify the main causes behind the deterioration with a specific focus on the evolving geopolitical circumstances during the years between 2003 and 2013. Keywords Alliance; Neorealism; Turkish-Israeli relations; Foreign policy; Turkey; Israel; AKP; geopolitics; Middle Eas