Mavi Marmara Crisis in Turkish - Israeli relations an analysis from the perspective of crisis management

In this thesis, the crisis between Turkey and Israel called 'Mavi Marmara' that started in May 2010 and is still going on today is examined. Israel reacted negatively to the announcements that several civil society organizations such as Humanitarian Relief Foundation (İHH), Ship To Free Gaza, Ship to Gaza Sweden, The International Committee to Lift Siege on Gaza, The European Campain to End the Siege on Gaza had made on their plans to transport humanitarian help by sea to Gaza. Israel asserted that Turkey had to prevent the departure of the ship declaring this initiative as an attempt to interrupt the Israeli blockade in Gaza. Turkish decision-makers, on the other hand, responded with several statements underlining that Turkey, being a democratic country, cannot ban civil society activities unilaterally. Despite all the warnings, the ship departed from Istanbul on May 22, then from Antalya on May 28 and finally met the other ships near Cyprus. As a result of Israeli operation against the fleet 80 miles off its territorial waters on May 31 at around 04.30, ten people died and more than 50 activists were wounded. A crisis between the civil society and a state that arose after the operation turned to be a crisis between Turkey and Israel afterwards. According to Turkey, the crisis began with the Israeli attack to the fleet in the international waters and its disproportional violence against the activists. That Israel preferred to react militarily to a civil society action indicates, on the other hand, that it considered this action as a crisis. This study is based on the theory of neoclassical realism. The choice of neoclassical theoretical framework inevitably necessitates a foreign policy analysis. In the study, the actions of decision-makers, target country and effects as well as reactions of third actors are significant. The leaders, as the heads of decision-making mechanisms are in the position to defend national interests and struggle with the difficulties of crisis management. They also choose which strategy to follow and decide how to use the resources. However, the strategy chosen in the process crisis management is not the sole factor, as there are many more factors that influence the process. In its analysis of 'Mavi Marmara Crisis', which was labeled as the '9/11 of Turkish-Israeli relations' within the context of the activities of decision-makers, this study will contribute to determine why a crisis arose.