ΔΕΙΤΕ ΠΡΩΤΟΙ ΟΛΑ ΤΑ ΝΕΑ ΤΟΥ TRIBUNE ΣΤΟ GOOGLE NEWS 
During a recent journalistic mission to Israel, organized by the Israeli Embassy in Athens, I had the opportunity to meet with leading experts on developments in the Middle East. Inevitably, a large portion of the discussions focused on Turkey and the enduring “Turkish Issue“—a modern extension of the old, still-unresolved Eastern Question.
A highly experienced source in diplomatic matters, who requested anonymity, noted that we must consider “who Erdoğan is addressing.” Specifically, he stressed: “He speaks primarily to his own audience. It is connected to the Muslim Brotherhood,” he pointedly emphasized.
He added that despite the tensions and extreme rhetoric, “Turkey still maintains an embassy in Israel—not an ambassador—but the Turkish Embassy has remained over the last two years of war.”
The Economic and Energy Game
“The economic situation in Turkey is very bad,” the same source noted, explaining why Ankara is focused on controlling energy flows. “Turkey wants to become an energy hub, but to achieve this, it must behave accordingly.” And yes, obviously its behavior is that of a country that wants “to play a major role in the Middle East,” but “Israelis are blocking it.”
“Turkey,” he clarified, “supports Hamas, not the Palestinian Authority.” Furthermore, there is a “competition between the Arabs, Turkey, and Iran over who will have the greatest influence in the region.”
He offered an example: Turkey did not like Iran’s influence over Hamas, where Iran is Shiite Muslim and Hamas is Sunni Muslim. Tehran’s influence in Gaza was also unwelcome to the Palestinian Authority.
Today, the situation in the Middle East is considered complex and difficult. President Trump genuinely wants to stabilize the region, and his circle believes that Turkey and Qatar are the only players he can address.
“We do not want to see Turkish troops in Gaza,” he stated, emphatically stressing that “after what Turkey has done, it will not set foot in Gaza.”
“Turkey and Qatar are the Muslim Brotherhood,” he confirmed, adding, “Egypt is not.”
When asked about an alternative, he replied, “Let’s let them try,” and added, “Some players need to reflect on their behavior, and I mean Syria.”
The Reconstruction Money Trail
“In the end, the war will be for the large sums of money for the reconstruction of Gaza,” he commented meaningfully. “Jihadists will kill each other for the money.”
Shifting to financial aid, he made a crucial aside: “The West sends money to Gaza. The Arabs do not. Where does the Europeans’ money go? And now Europe is preoccupied with its own war, with Ukraine, which costs a lot of money.”
The question of Turkey returned: “Turkey wants a share of the financial pie from the reconstruction of Gaza. It seeks the same from the reconstruction of Syria.”
The Situation in Syria: Assassination Attempts on al-Saraa
Regarding Syria, however, not even the self-proclaimed transitional president of the country, Ahmed al-Saraa (Abu Mohammad al-Julani), “feels very secure about his safety,” the source claimed, revealing: “There have been attempts on Julani’s life,” information the Tribune is able to confirm from other sources. “The Julani regime is not one thing; it is not unified.”
The Global Competition for Resources
Our interlocutor confirmed a major global competition for energy, food, and supplies. “Also, how reliable the supplier of the above is, is extremely important.”
“Everyone is looking for new supply routes. This is a big issue now. And Africa and China’s influence there are also very big issues.”
Erdoğan Seeks Lifetime Rule
He confirmed what the Tribune has reported for a long time: that Erdoğan wants to change the Turkish constitution to become a “sultan” [The Tribune correctly wrote since 2020 that he wishes to become a “caliph”]. This, our source explained, is why he is attempting to make peace with the Kurds.
The Greece-Israel Obstacle
In its Neo-Ottomanist agenda, Turkey views the Greece, Cyprus, Israel axis as an obstacle.
This axis is, in reality, blocking Turkey’s acquisition of the F-35s. Even if the US government shows a “positive disposition,” it is not enough; it must pass the House of Representatives and the Senate. Simultaneously, the Turks are trying to acquire foreign engines, which they cannot manufacture themselves, for their other aircraft, and they are searching everywhere.
Israelis have no evidence of a Turkish military nuclear program but are aware of rumors of aid from Pakistan. It is worth noting that this very important latter issue—the Turkey-Pakistan nuclear relationship—was identified and addressed by Nikos Kotzias as Foreign Minister.
Turkey’s Stance on Hamas Disarmament
Turkey does not want Hamas to disarm, the source stressed, adding scathingly: “If Turkey wants to train Hamas, it can do so in… Anatolia” [meaning on Turkish soil].
For those in the know, this barb was highly targeted, as it is widely understood that the Turkish paramilitary organization SADAT, often mockingly called “the Turkish ‘Wagner’,” maintains jihadist training camps in Anatolia. It has trained, among others, ISIS members and Islamist Syrian Turkmens, whom it subsequently sent to fight on the fronts in Azerbaijan and Libya, as the Tribune has repeatedly reported. Furthermore, this has also been denounced by Nikos Dendias.
Israel’s perception of Turkey, our experienced interlocutor told us, is that it is a “hostile country” and “Israel’s perception is approaching that of Greece’s [towards Turkey]. The Israel-Turkey hostility is growing.”
Israel and Greece Against Neo-Ottomanism
In a separate meeting, another interlocutor, Yosef Kuperwasser, head of the Israeli JISS institute, stressed:
“We want to strengthen our relations with Greece to counter Erdoğan and Neo-Ottomanism.” The problem with Turkey lies in Washington.
In yet another discussion, a source who also requested anonymity said regarding the above: “Erdoğan is pushing Turkey towards Islamic extremism.”
“It is not happening by chance but by design. Turkey is a country that supports Hamas.”
“Israel Now Borders Turkey”
A fourth source, who also requested anonymity, was equally revealing:
“Israel now borders Turkey in Syria,” he stated.
“Erdoğan seeks to revive the Ottoman Empire.
“Even if Erdoğan leaves, the leadership that succeeds him will be more extremist.
“The Turkish occupation in Cyprus greatly concerns Israel. The Greek government is preparing.
“Syria also concerns us, which is why Israel has occupied territories in Syria.
“Because what happened in Suweida [with the massacre of the Druze] could also happen in Israel.”
Turkey, Syria, and Israel
The fifth interlocutor, from the INSS institute in Tel Aviv, offered a more extensive analysis.
As he explained, the self-proclaimed transitional president of Syria, Al-Golani [or Al-Julani], is not Erdoğan’s puppet, which is why he is trying to build relations with the United Arab Emirates.
However, so far, Erdoğan is the winner of the war in Syria.
“Israel is concerned that Turkey is approaching it through Syria, and if it were up to Turkey, all of Syria would have been turned into a Turkish base. Turkey is getting closer, and that worries us.”
He rhetorically asked why Turkey is buying used aircraft from Qatar and Oman.
“What worries it that it is buying used planes? Okay, they are not heavily used, but in any case, it means something when you buy used.”
Referring to the most recent flotilla to Gaza [the Global Sumud Flotilla], the one involving Greta, he reminded us that it was protected, “it had a cloak,” of Turkish drones.
Referring to the sham elections in the occupied Turkish-controlled territories in northern Cyprus, he recalled that the Turkish Cypriot secessionist leader, Ersin Tatar, claimed in his rhetoric against his opponent, Tufan Erhürman, that the latter was supported by Israel.
He pointed out that occupying Turkey, from the drone base it has established in occupied Lefkoniko and other corresponding bases in Syria, is trying to nullify Israel’s air sovereignty in the region.
Furthermore, the arrest warrants issued by Turkey for Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials “do not permit the normalization of Turkey’s relations with Israel.”
Why Hamas Refuses to Disarm – Turkey’s Role
The fifth interlocutor explained that Hamas jihadists refuse to disarm because they believe that if they keep their weapons, they will hold the power regardless of any government that emerges in Gaza—say, one of technocrats.
Turkey and Qatar, he continued, as the Muslim Brotherhood, support Hamas, which is the Palestinian arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. What they seek is for Hamas “to dominate the entire Palestinian arena,” meaning Hamas to govern all Palestinians.
One reason for deploying Turkish troops in Gaza, among others, is for “Turkish soldiers to become Hamas’s human shields.”
A Counter-Axis to the Turkish Axis
About fifteen years ago, the author suggested in his writings the creation of an Ancient Nations Alliance (ANA)—a coalition for peace, progress, and co-development against Neo-Ottomanism and Persian Imperialism, with allies including Greeks (from Greece, Cyprus and Rūm), Israelis, Kurds, Alawites, Assyrians, Druze, Egyptians, and Gulf Arabs.
Today, fifteen years later, it appears that many Israelis also see such an alliance as the “only way.” This is evident both from numerous statements by the Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, and from Israel’s actions in favor of the Kurds, Druze, and others.
Moreover, the author recalls that the Ottomans departed from European soil after the alliance of Greeks, Serbs, Montenegrins, and Bulgarians in the First Balkan War (October 1912 to May 1913). And history, unfortunately, repeats itself when it fails to teach.
The fifth interlocutor from INSS was clear: “We must build a network in the Middle East with all those who feel threatened by Turkey: Israel, Arabs, Greece, Cyprus.”
“With common economic, energy, and water security interests. Such a network would bring Turkey into line, because otherwise it would exclude it.”
“However, this plan faces a conflict of interests with the US, which dreams of a PAX AMERICANA, where the US looks after its own interests first and, of course, is planning large business deals.”
