JERUSALEM, Israel – Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking more influence in the Middle East by increasing his presence in Syria. Experts believe Erdogan will continue his desire for control as part of a much broader vision, and that could be a major issue for Israel.
The concern is that the Turkish president may have aspirations that are even greater than Iran’s.
“If we are talking about the influence in Syria, (Erdogan) already took the place of Russia and Iran but I think, given the Ottoman glorious past, I think his ambitions are far more bigger then Iran’s,” said Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, Middle East Expert at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies as well as at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.
Born and raised in Turkey, Yanarocak says one shouldn’t underestimate Erdogan when he insists the borders of Turkey are larger than they are now.
“We do see the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire. So, as much as Belgrade, he’s talking about Jerusalem, as much as Athens, he’s talking about, you know, other cities like Cairo and other cities inside the Middle East,” Yanarocak told CBN News. “So, I don’t think that it only can be limited within the boundaries of the Middle East.”
The Ottoman Empire, also known as the Turkish Empire, began more than 700 years ago, eventually controlling Southeast Europe as well as parts of West Asia, North Africa and the Middle East up to the early 20th century.
After World War I, the Allied powers partitioned the Ottoman Empire, including what the British then called Palestine.
Yanarocak says, December’s fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad opened the door for Erdogan to implement his goal of reviving an empire beginning with Syria.
“We all witnessed that since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, the Turkish president provided everything he has (provided) to the Syrian opposition. And he is turning, the current Syrian administration as his core ally. By providing some civilian services like paving the roads, railways, providing radars, and repairing airports and other facilities, Turkey is creating here a very important dependency from the Syrian side,” Yanarocak explained.
He adds that Turkey is the only country declaring an intention to build up the new Syrian army, which the US has demanded that it destroy its chemical weapons and renounce terrorism.
On paper, Israel and Turkey have shared diplomatic relations since 1949, although Erdogan’s moves could put that at risk.
“The Turkish president, at the end of the (Muslim) Eid el-Fitr celebrations, he unfortunately wished for the destruction of Israel. And for Israel, especially after October the 7th, you know, we cannot tolerate some future threats,” he said.
Since the Assad regime fell, Israel has bombed weapons stockpiles and strategic military locations while establishing a buffer zone along its border with Syria. Israel is concerned both with those who control Syria and with Turkey’s involvement.
“They are already building governmental facilities, to sort of show (a) type of sovereignty in the Syrian land as well. You see Turkey building post offices, Turkish post offices, banks, Turkish banks (that) are using Turkish currency, and) schools,” Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told CBN News.
Haskel says Israel has two priorities regarding Syria: the safety of Israel and the protection of minorities, including the Christians, Druze, and Kurds. Then there’s Turkey.
“Turkey is a great concern in what is happening in Syria now, not just that we need to hear their declarations and their speeches of their leadership. And that’s really concerning – in particular, statements (concerning) this force in regard to Jerusalem. There are declarations (which) are a red line in regard to Israel, but it shows their intention,” Haskel said.
Haskel adds that intention goes beyond Israel.
“I think that after what had happened in Syria, you know, they feel like they’re on a high horse. But that should be a great concern to all the neighboring countries around,” she added.
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President Trump recently offered to smooth out any difficulties between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Erdogan.
“Any problem that you have with Turkey, I think I can solve, I mean as long as you are reasonable. You have to be reasonable. We have to be reasonable,” Trump said in a statement.
Yanarocak says it’s also the first time the US could have access to Syria, which used to be under Russia’s thumb and is now being influenced by Turkey, a NATO member.
“Now, Donald Trump has the opportunity to penetrate into Syria and maybe to play a role for its reconstruction. The name of the game here is money, and, since we are talking about, you know, the U.S. president, then he’s a very successful businessman,” Yanarocak said. “And therefore, I believe that the last thing that the American President is looking for in Syria is friction between the State of Israel and Turkey.”
