31 M any aver that the 2009 World Economic Forum Annual Meet- ing in Davos opened a new era in Turkish- Israeli relations. Before expanding on this, it should be made clear that the Davos event meant diferent things to the Turkish and Is- raeli public: For the Turks, who believe they have historical and emotional links with the Muslims of Palestine, the bombing of Gaza was a near-traumatic experience. Te Gaza factor eroded even the most severe divisions in Turk- ish politics, bringing together the normally antagonistic parties (conservative, secular, na- tionalist) in a vehement condemnation of Is- rael well before the Davos event. As far as the Turks were concerned, therefore, the Turkish prime minister’s describing Israel’s assault on Gaza as a set of “barbarian” acts was no more than the rhetorical summary of the mood in Turkey. Tat is why even Prime Minister Re- cep Tayyip Erdoğan’s political opponents pub- ABSTRACT Despite the negative atmosphere it created for both sides, the Davos case should be seen as an opportunity to revisit the various aspects of Turkish-Israeli relations. Turkish- Israeli rapprochement is important for the regional order. However, both sides should realize that like all bilateral relations the Turkish-Israeli one is subject to social, political and psychological parameters. Tere is no ideal, correct model that is free of social efects. Te fuctuations of a bilateral contact cannot be understood through simplistic analyses that prioritize personalities or other trivial issues. Every single event, including that at Davos, should be seen as one function of complex social phenomena. Even the most unexpected events in politics are the products of several major social machineries. Tis article will ofer an alternative analysis of the Turkish- Israeli relationship in the light of a number of social structures. Turkish-Israeli Relations afer Davos: A View from Turkey GÖKHAN BACIK* * Associate Professor, International Relations Department, Fatih University & Dean of the Graduate School of Social Sciences, gbacik@fatih.edu.tr Insight Turkey Vol. 11 / No. 2 / 2009 pp. 31-41 Articles