The Facts
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu arrived in Tel Aviv on Tues. for a two-day visit to the West Bank and Israel.
In Ramallah, he championed the two-state solution to promote peace and signed several cooperation deals to support the Palestinian economy with his counterpart Riyad al-Maliki.
The Spin
Narrative A
Turkey is seeking to improve relations with Israel in order to reduce its energy dependence from Moscow and recover its influence in the Middle East - including playing a key role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process - which was seriously affected by recent geopolitical shifts throughout the region. This offers some leverage for Israel to negotiate a rapprochement with Ankara without jeopardizing its relations with Mediterranean allies such as Egypt and Greece.
Narrative B
Turkish neo-Ottoman expansionism is in full throttle. Turkey has military assets engaged in the Levent, Horn of Africa, Caucasus, and North Africa and is eager to expand its presence even further. When interacting with powers in the region, Ankara is primarily focused on protecting and promoting its own interests, while also casting itself in the role of regional supervisor for others.