As Syria Falls and Iran Fades, Turkey Seeks Regional Takeover

As Syria Falls and Iran Fades, Turkey Seeks Regional Takeover

Don’t take my word on this. Listen to Professor Eyal Zisser of Tel Aviv University.

He writes at Israel Hayom:

When Turkey becomes Iran

Over recent decades, Iran has spared no effort in advancing its flagship regional project: establishing dominance in the Fertile Crescent, a stretch spanning Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza. Iran’s proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas, have sought to encircle Israel in a ring of fire and suffocation as the first step toward its destruction.

The fall of Assad’s regime in Syria dashed Iran’s grand ambitions and set Tehran back significantly.

But in the absence of a vacuum, Turkey under Erdogan has rushed to fill the void. Erdogan backed Abu Muhammad al-Julani, Syria’s new ruler, financing and arming his forces and granting him the green light to attack and dismantle the regime in Damascus.

Erdogan’s Syrian adventure aims to dismantle the Kurdish autonomy in northern Syria, which has stirred nationalist sentiments among Turkey’s large Kurdish minority. Additionally, Erdogan seeks to rid Turkey of millions of Syrian refugees, who have become a political and economic burden.

At the same time, Erdogan aims to edge out Shiite Iran from the region. The two countries are locked in both religious and political rivalry, competing for dominance in the Middle East.

This is far from certain. While al-Julani has benefited from Erdogan’s support, it is doubtful that he wishes to become Erdogan’s proxy or agent. Furthermore, Turkey lacks the economic and military resources to assume control over Syria. And this is even before considering the potential opposition from Trump, whom the Turks fear.

However, Syria is just one part of the bigger picture. Like the Ayatollahs in Iran, Erdogan harbors grand ambitions—to restore the glory of the Ottoman Empire, which once ruled the entire Middle East. It is clear that Erdogan views Islamic zealotry, steeped in hatred for Israel, as the glue to unite the pieces of the Middle Eastern puzzle under his control.

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