Azernews.Az

ANKARA – The crisis that has emerged between Turkey and Israel will have an impact on countries across the region, analysts say.

Turkey is to expel the Israeli ambassador after details emerged of a UN report into last year's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla. Officials in Ankara said it was also suspending all remaining military agreements with Israel.

Nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were killed when Israeli forces stormed the flotilla in May 2010.

A leaked copy of the United Nations report says Israeli forces did use excessive force when they intercepted the Turkish-led flotilla trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza.

Many pundits believe that after Turkey’s step, Arab countries and Iran will favor Ankara more. However, this is unlikely to be the case for the United States and a number of other Western nations where the Jewish lobby has a say. Thus, Turkey’s admission to the European Union could be complicated further. But first and foremost, Ankara’s move could give an incentive to the recognition of the alleged World War I-era genocide of Armenians in US Congress, and the Jewish community, which has so far opposed this, could alter its stance on the issue.

But some pundits, including leading Azerbaijani analyst, MP Rasim Musabayov, have expressed a contrary opinion.

"Turkey is quite confident about its relations with the United States," he said. "Turkey is also aware that the games over the alleged genocide are being played mostly by the Democratic administration. The Congress majority has now been overtaken by the Republicans, who realize quite well Turkey’s strategic importance for the region."

The rising tensions between Turkey and Israel could create challenges for Azerbaijan, which is maintaining close military cooperation with both countries. Nonetheless, according to Musabayov, Baku should preserve the current level of relations with both Ankara and Tel-Aviv and try to balance them.

"Azerbaijan continues to maintain relations and is expanding cooperation with Israel. And it is not obligatory for it to trail behind Turkey. We have our own relationship with Israel and it will be maintained."

Musabayov explained his analysis also with the expectations that sooner or later, Israel-Turkey relations will normalize, though their strategic partnership is not likely to be soon brought to the previous level.