Turkey is well-placed to oversee reconstruction efforts in Gaza—but Israel has loudly opposed the move, citing the Erdogan government’s close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Turkey continues its meteoric ascent toward becoming the dominant regional power and the potentate of the Muslim nations. In the wake of the shaky ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas over the Gaza Strip, the United States government is looking for viable partners who are able and willing to assist in the stabilization of the Israel-Gaza situation and the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip following Israel’s devastating aerial campaign.
Given President Donald Trump’s closeness with Turkey’s quasi-Islamist leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, much speculation persists about Turkey becoming the principal player in the postwar stabilization of Turkey.
Who Would Benefit from a Turkish-Dominated Gaza Strip?
Certainly, Hamas is welcoming Turkey’s presence because of Ankara’s longtime ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the umbrella organization supporting Hamas. Of course, the broken Palestinian Arab population of Gaza would likely welcome any group other than Israel to restore their blighted land.
The Israelis, naturally, want nothing to do with this formulation—even theoretically—because it would introduce an Islamist-adjacent, powerful nation (Turkey is a member of NATO with a powerful military in its own right) into an area alongside Israel’s vulnerable southern border.
Nevertheless, President Trump and key elements of his team appear poised to welcome the introduction of Turkey into the equation. Who could blame them? After all, from an American perspective, what politician wants to be tethered to this conflict along the Eastern Mediterranean coastline for much longer?
Turkey has already appointed the former head of its disaster management agency, Mehmet Gulluoglu, to serve as the country’s coordinator for aid to Gaza, according to Al-Monitor. Ankara says that it intends to deliver large-scale humanitarian support to the Palestinian Arabs of the Gaza Strip. This includes housing, medical aid, rubble clearing, and other reconstruction efforts.
This, as the Sunni Arab states have vowed to generously provide funds for such a mission—meaning that Turkey is again rising to lead the Muslim communities of the Middle East in a common cause, only empowering Turkey’s bid to restore the Ottoman Empire of old.
Israel Is Furious About Turkish Involvement in Gaza
Ankara has announced its willingness to place its troops, along with Turkish civilian personnel, to form the backbone of any multinational task force to Gaza. Indeed, Turkish elements have joined with Qatari and Egyptian representatives to participate more fully in ceasefire negotiations with Israeli forces on behalf of the Palestinian Arabs of the Gaza Strip. Erdogan’s government has long been an advocate of statehood for Palestinians (a two-state solution), something that the current Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vociferously opposes.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Turkish troops going into Gaza would not be permitted. What’s more, Israeli leaders are warning that, should Turkey gain a foothold in Gaza, it would undermine Israeli security concerns.
Turkey is absolutely positioning itself to play a major role in Gaza’s next phase. We are only watching the start of Turkey’s rise to power. If it works, Israel’s security situation will be far worse than what it is today.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, and the Asia Times. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Gergitek.
