Turkey's 'strategic triad' gains sway in Middle East policy, challenging Israel

Turkey's growing influence in the Middle East is marked by its leadership in an emergent Sunni Islamic alliance that includes Qatar and Pakistan, with aspirations to bring Saudi Arabia and Egypt into its fold. This bloc presents a complex strategic picture, as it maintains close relationships with the United States and other Western nations while simultaneously supporting and leveraging anti-Western Islamist forces.

The alliance's opposition to Israel is explicit, with senior Turkish officials employing increasingly strong language against the Jewish state. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that the "genocidal, occupying, expansionist ideology called Zionism threatens not only me...it threatens everyone." Similarly, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci expressed hope for the "liberation of Jerusalem" in the future.

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the genocidal, occupying, expansionist ideology called Zionism threatens not only me, not only our party, not only our alliance; it threatens everyone.... When we struggle against Zionism, we are not waging this struggle for ourselves or for personal reasons. We are doing it for our own survival and for the survival of our nation.

Beyond rhetoric, Ankara's strategy focuses on tangible power-building. Turkey is a primary external supporter of the Sunni Islamist regime led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Syria. By maintaining an insurgent enclave in northwest Syria, Turkey enabled Sharaa's movement, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, to consolidate power. An agreement signed in August 2025 positions Turkey to train and shape the new Syrian army, aiming to build a force of 200,000 soldiers over five years, solidifying its role as a key external player in Syria.

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just as we witnessed the liberation of Damascus, Aleppo, and Karabakh, God willing, one day we will also witness the liberation of Jerusalem.