Why Türkiye must prioritize alliances with regional countries.
Why Türkiye must prioritize alliances with regional countries.
Stalling tactics
Just as Washington previously stalled Iran with nuclear talks before Israel’s initial offensive, it has now used a similar tactic to stall global public opinion ahead of its own attack. Remember Trump’s statement about “two weeks”. There were even diplomatic gestures that suggested new negotiations might begin with various countries. In the end, it became clear once again: these were all just stalling tactics, and the US stands behind Israel with its full weight.
The Turkish government couldn’t even “condemn”
After Israel’s attack, the Turkish government could not do more than issue a statement of “condemnation” and call upon the so-called “international community” which is essentially nothing but Washington and Brussels. But now, after the US’s attack, it couldn’t even do that much. Not even a “condemnation”! Only a vague expression of “concern”! And this time, there was no one left to appeal to, because the attack came from those very actors the Turkish government had been appealing to. In effect, the Turkish government contributed to both Israels and the US’s attacks through the military base at Kürecik.
A negligent government
To grasp just how misguided and negligent the Turkish government’s policy has been, we must first understand that this war is not merely a war between Israel-US and Iran. It goes far beyond that. Likewise, Iran’s resistance is not only its own, it’s also the resistance of Türkiye, of Eurasia, and of the broader region. It’s a stand against the “Greater Kurdistan” project, and a pushback against all regional threats posed by Israeli Zionism. Everything unfolding now is closely tied to Türkiye’s military, economic, and political interests in the near future.
The attacks targeting Iran are not just meant as a message to Tehran, but also to Türkiye and the Gulf states. There’s a message to Saudi Arabia, which has been unwilling to arrange oil prices because of the US’ commands. Also, a message to the growing ties between Riyadh and Beijing, and the normalization process between Saudi Arabia and Iran, moves that some clearly want to sabotage.
In the hope of “friendly gestures” from Trump
We also need to be clear-eyed about something else: If Türkiye were to loosen its ties with Eurasian countries or take a more passive or negative stance in the hope of securing a few friendly gestures from the Trump administration, that would only play into Washington’s hands. These are efforts to wear Türkiye down and exploit its internal weaknesses, eventually turning it into easy prey. We should take note of how, following President Raisi’s death, expectations from the West had negative consequences for Iran. To be expecting positive steps from Trump, for the “Terror-Free Türkiye” project, or in Syria, Ukraine, and the Black Sea, would eventually end up leaving Türkiye more isolated in an even tougher position due to steps it hasn’t taken.
We know very well that Türkiye is one of Israel’s targets. So how can Türkiye stop the Israeli aggression? Being in expectation from the US, which is behind Israel with all its forces. That’s why Türkiye must prioritize alliances with regional countries, with Russia and China, and building a defense industry not dependent on NATO technology.