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Turkey's New Threat to Israel

(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Yoni Ben Menachem - Following the fall of the Assad regime, senior Israeli security officials have expressed alarm over Turkey's growing involvement in the region. According to the Jacob Nagel Committee's report on Israel's defense budget, published on January 6, 2025, Turkey's ambitions to "restore the Ottoman crown to its former glory" present a pressing security challenge. The report highlights the possibility of an extremist Syrian regime with an anti-Israel ideology replacing Assad's government. Reports in the Turkish press indicate plans to establish military bases in Syria equipped with air defense systems, ostensibly to protect against Israeli airstrikes. Erdogan has also pledged support the new rulers of Syria by providing weapons and assistance in building a Syrian army weakened by Israeli strikes. The Assad regime's secular governance over five decades contrasts starkly with the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood's influence under al-Jolani has already sparked opposition among Syrians, particularly due to efforts to introduce Sharia law into schools and public life. Popular resistance to these changes echoes the Brotherhood's failures in Tunisia and Egypt. The Turkish army, one of the largest and most formidable in the Middle East, represents a significant challenge to Israel's security, with 425,000 active personnel and an additional 380,000 reservists. Western intelligence sources suggest Erdogan harbors ambitions of reviving the Ottoman Empire, seeking to position himself as a modern-day sultan or caliph overseeing Sunni forces in the Middle East, including Jerusalem, which was once part of the Ottoman Empire.
2025-01-16 00:00:00
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