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Source: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-880969
How Turkey Went from Ally to Strategic Threat
(Jerusalem Post) Maj.-Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland - Turkey was one of Israel's greatest friends. However, since Erdogan rose to power 23 years ago, Turkey has become a real enemy. The main factors that explain Turkey's threatening approach toward Israel are its religious outlook, its national outlook, and its megalomania. During the First World War, the Ottoman Empire, which had ruled for centuries both in the Middle East and in the Balkans, collapsed. Turkey, which had been allied with Germany and Austria, was defeated and was forced to retreat to its current borders. As an IDF general, I met with my Turkish counterparts many times and they told me: "We do not accept the borders that were imposed on us in 1923. Turkey's natural borders must expand in at least three places: the southern border, the Aegean Sea, and Cyprus." Since Erdogan came to power, two additional dimensions have been added to Turkish national pride: the megalomaniac personality of the Turkish president and his strict Islamist approach. Turkey's hostile approach has been characterized by venomous statements, by provocations such as the flotilla to Gaza in 2010, and by funding provocations in Jerusalem. Turkey has a huge and high-quality navy, and if it decides to attack Israel, it is certainly capable of creating a maritime blockade. The writer is a former head of Israel's National Security Council.