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Israeli writer Jonathan Adiri warned of developments that are not in Israel’s interest, especially after Türkiye acquired strategic power assets that make it an indispensable partner for the United States and NATO.
In an article published in Yediot Aharonot entitled "Turkish cards behind the warm embrace," Adiri said that the cards that Türkiye possesses reduce the margin of Israeli influence on American policy towards Ankara.
Adiri argued that the harsh Turkish statements against Israel, whether from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, should not obscure the most important fact, which is that Washington and European capitals view Turkey as a key pillar in the new Western security strategy, known as "NATO 3.0".
The writer explained that the transformations within the alliance, led by Pentagon planners, are based on reducing European dependence on the United States and assigning a greater role to countries capable of providing military and industrial power, stressing that Turkey has succeeded in adapting to this trend in a way that has made it superior to many of Washington’s allies, including Israel, in some strategic aspects.
He pointed out that Ankara possesses four main strengths that enhance its position, namely a young population base that provides a large human reserve, an advanced defense industry that includes drones and the Turkish “Kan” fighter jet, in addition to the second largest army in NATO that has operational experience in several arenas, as well as its geographical location and its role in immigration and energy issues, which are factors that give it important leverage over Europe and the United States.
Adiri argued that the increasing American and European support for Ankara gives the Turkish leadership a greater sense of confidence and makes its escalating rhetoric towards Israel less politically costly, especially with the approach of internal political deadlines and the possibility of a transfer of power after Erdogan, where criticizing Israel has become, according to the writer, "the cheapest political currency" in the Turkish arena.
He argued that Israel’s protests against Turkish positions would not have a significant impact as long as Ankara was achieving success in “NATO 3.0” standards, stressing that the only way for Israel to influence the American position was to enhance its superiority in the fields of technology, intelligence and military capabilities, rather than simply objecting to Turkish political discourse.
The writer concluded by saying that understanding Turkish politics should not be from the angle of the relationship with Israel, but rather through American interests, considering that “Ankara is read from Washington, not from Jerusalem,” indicating that Turkey’s position in American calculations has become a decisive factor that transcends bilateral disputes with Israel.
