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Israeli media outlet Yedioth Ahronoth published an analysis warning that Israel must initiate fundamental moves to prevent a potential war with Türkiye, describing Ankara as a dynamic regional power planning to reshape the Middle East.
According to the analysis by technology entrepreneur and former Foreign Relations Brigade operations officer Yehonatan Adiri, "Türkiye is not Iran—not in isolation, not in economy, and not in quality of influence."
"It is a dynamic, aspiring regional power with one foot in the West, enormous leverage over Europe and a finger on the pulse of the East," Adiri wrote.
The analysis states that "Türkiye of 2025 no longer seeks 'a place at the table' in the Middle East; it plans to build the entire table."
Adiri cited reports about an imminent Turkish-Syrian defense alliance that would establish Turkish bases "in the heart of Syria", requiring Israel to implement military and political moves to convince President Erdogan to recalculate his course.
"Israeli failure in shaping the northern arena makes an Israel-Türkiye war through proxy a real threat, several times more dangerous than Iran," the analysis stated.
The report claims that Assad's fall and takeover of Syrian territory were carefully planned in Ankara, with Ahmed al-Sharaa's success and growing international recognition allowing Türkiye to establish buffer zones.
The analysis highlighted Foreign Minister and former intelligence chief Hakan Fidan as the strategist navigating Türkiye's geopolitical ambitions.
"Fidan is not just a diplomat—he is the strategist who navigates Türkiye's geopolitical aspirations: strengthening influence in Libya, military presence in Syria, naval presence in the Mediterranean, and dual dialogue with Russia on one side and NATO on the other," Adiri wrote.
"More than Erdogan, he is the brain behind the 'Turkish hegemony' project."
The analysis outlined Türkiye's significant military and economic positioning as NATO's second-largest army with strategic deployment between Russia and the Middle East.
Military exports from Istanbul now exceed $7 billion, having quadrupled in a decade, with 70% of military equipment produced domestically, making Türkiye the world's largest drone manufacturer.
The report suggested that Türkiye's non-military leverage, including natural gas pipelines passing through its territory, makes it a key energy source for Europe.
Adiri identified two possible alliances for such a move: the moderate alliance of Egypt, UAE, and Saudi Arabia under White House auspices, and a Mediterranean alliance including Greece and Greek Cyprus.
Recent developments show that Israel is trying to forge an alliance with Greece and Greek Cyprus through arms sales instead of Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with whom Ankara has "good" relations.
"This alliance already includes military, energy, civilian cooperation and diplomatic coordination. It also marks territorial boundaries for Türkiye, which sees the Cypriot island as its backyard," the Israeli report claimed.
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