Turkey's Role in the Evolving Middle Eastern Landscape скачать в хорошем качестве

Turkey's Role in the Evolving Middle Eastern Landscape

Turkey's Role in the Evolving Middle Eastern Landscape Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak Moshe Dayan Center; Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security 24 June 2025 Israel’s latest military operation, backed by the U.S., dismantled Iran’s nuclear program and crippled its military capacity, showing Iran to be far weaker than once believed. This outcome reinforced the close U.S.-Israel relationship and left Israel and Turkey as the main power players in the region. Turkey now views Israel’s military dominance as a direct security threat, especially since Iran can no longer deter Israel. In response, Turkey is investing heavily in its intelligence services, air defense systems, and ballistic missile capabilities. At the same time, it has positioned itself as a leading voice for pan-Islamic unity against Israel, framing Muslim solidarity as a political and strategic alliance that could challenge not only Israel but other non-Muslim states as well. Internally, Erdogan is consolidating his power by jailing opposition figures and limiting dissent, facing little resistance from the EU or the U.S., who see Turkey as too important to alienate while they focus on Russia and Syria. Turkey’s role in Syria has allowed the U.S. to extend its influence there, further strengthening Erdogan’s hand. Amid the region’s conflicts, Turkey presents itself as an island of stability surrounded by chaos, which bolsters Erdogan’s domestic popularity. He is expected to use this narrative to justify constitutional changes to extend his rule and benefit economically from Syria’s reconstruction through well-connected Turkish contractors. #Turkey #turkishpolitics #easternmediterranean