Kara met with Turkish ambassador to Israel, Ahmet Oğuz Çelikkol, to improve Israel–Turkey relations, citing Turkey as a "proven" ally to Israel. However, relations deteriorated after the Gaza flotilla raid. Kara has also been instrumental in improving relations with Syria and Lebanon. Just before the 2009 election, he claimed to have met with Syrian officials in Washington, D. C., who said Syria was interested in revisiting talks to improve relations. However, the Syrian embassy in Washington denied the meeting took place, as did a spokesman for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has also been outspoken in his opposition to proposed divisions of the border village of Ghajar, comparing it to the Berlin Wall.