Seth J. Frantzman
Jerusalem Post, Sept. 10, 2024
“All of these moves show that these countries are all moving toward working together. This leaves Israel out in the cold.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been one of the most outspoken anti-Israel voices in the world since the October 7 massacre. Not only did Ankara not condemn the terrorist attack, it has been openly hosting and backing Hamas. This is not new for Turkey, which has long backed Hamas. But now, however, Erdogan is moving forward with a number of initiatives designed to rally Muslim countries against Israel.
The Islamic offensive that Ankara is undertaking is part of a broader goal to be seen as a world leader for Islamic issues. For instance, Turkey has sought to embrace other “Islamic” causes. It has incited against France and other European countries over issues it considers linked to “Islamophobia.” It has sought to work more closely with Malaysia, Pakistan, and other Muslim countries.
Ankara has also pursued more outreach to Iran. This is all part of a goal to position Turkey as a leader in this realm, supplanting the role that Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states have played historically. In essence, one could argue that this is Turkey seeking to return to the role the Ottoman Empire once played in Islamic global affairs up until the end of World War I.
Erdogan has sought to rally the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to convene an extraordinary leaders’ summit to bash Israel. This is raising eyebrows around the region. Iranian state media has also reported on this initiative, illustrating that Tehran might be excited by the prospect of working with Ankara against Israel. Turkey is seeking “to discuss the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and find ways to prevent the genocide of Palestinians in the blockaded territory,” Iran’s government-controlled Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
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