The eyes of the world are focused on Gaza. Israel is preparing for a ground offensive.
The Palestinian people have been awaiting a spark to invigorate this resistance for quite a while. A significant struggle began on October 7th. Israel’s massacres persist. Eyes are also turning to Türkiye security measures and people are curious about the steps Türkiye will take.
As the developments are rapidly unfolding, Türkiye is one of the few countries whose attitude and steps are being closely followed.
Turkish officials are in contact with all sides, President Erdoğan is targeting Israel with harsh words, and Turkish people are organizing demonstrations in support of Palestine.
Mehmet Perinçek, political scientist, historian and Uwidata author, commented on how the developments in Gaza concern Türkiye and what concrete steps Türkiye should take.
“An extraordinary security threat” to the US
Both the Mossad Chief and Joe Biden declared Türkiye as an “extraordinary security threat” in their recent statements. Under these circumstances, what should Türkiye do?
The fact that the US and Israel view Türkiye as a security threat means that Türkiye has become a target that, from their perspective, needs to be eliminated. Since the US declared the Greater Middle East project, it has been pursuing a policy that targets Türkiye’s territorial integrity, by establishing a puppet state both in the north of Iraq and north of Syria and expanding it through Türkiye and Iran. So, Biden’s recent statement is nothing but a reiteration of what is already known.
To thwart the plans of the US and Israel, Türkiye needs to build a counterforce. We face economic and military great powers like Israel and the US. Restraining and stopping them can only be achieved through enough counterforce. The weaker and more isolated they perceive you, the easier you become a target.
What needs to be done now, first and foremost, is for Türkiye to activate its internal dynamics. The Turkish nation should be united, all national forces need to come together, and elements that could cause internal vulnerabilities should be eliminated. And of course, the Turkish army must always be strong and ready.
However, when we look at the threat we are facing, we see that it is not possible, or at least not easy for Türkiye to resist them only with its own power. So, Türkiye needs to come together with other countries suffering from US and Israeli aggression. This way, Türkiye can create an alliance that can counter-balance this aggression. The favorable condition for such an alliance already exists.
Not only normalization, but also strategic cooperation with Damascus
In the first phase, Türkiye should collaborate with the countries targeted by the so-called “Greater Kurdistan” project by the US and Israel, namely Iraq, Syria, and Iran. At this point, Syria is of particular importance because the US threat is currently centered on the east of the Euphrates, where the PKK/PYD terrorist organization is located. Türkiye should urgently establish, not only normalization, but also strategic cooperation with Damascus.
In the second phase, given that the so-called “Greater Kurdistan” project is not only a threat to the countries in the region, but also to the whole Eurasia, Türkiye should come together not only with Iraq, Syria and Iran, but also with the Eurasian countries, especially Russia and China. The US aims to use -and to some extent has already established- this puppet state as an outpost and base against the entire Eurasian region. So, Türkiye has a favorable ground for cooperation with Pakistan, India, and the Turkic republics in this context.
A comprehensive strategy to counter US and Israeli aggression
By taking these steps, Türkiye can establish a position of resistance in both Western Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean and thus counter US and Israeli aggression. To achieve this, Türkiye needs a comprehensive strategy. Thwarting US plans depends on making well-calculated moves that disrupt American plans wherever they may be, not just where Türkiye directly confronts the US. In this regard, Türkiye’s stance against the US and NATO encirclement in the Black Sea through Ukraine is also significant.
The economic aspect: breaking the economic dependence on the West
In addition to the geopolitical and political dimensions, there is also an economic aspect to consider. If you are up against powers like the US and Israel and have become their number one target, you not only face certain threats militarily but also through the US dollar and various economic mechanisms. Possibilities such as financial operations targeting Türkiye’s domestic markets should be kept in mind, and precautions should be taken.
Implementing these measures is only possible by breaking the economic dependence on the West. Currently, the Erdoğan government is pursuing a policy of economic dependence on the West, begging British banks or more truly Israeli funds, which are the real determiners. It is quite clear one cannot resist the US and Israel by begging. If you surrender your economy to Washington, London and Tel Aviv, you cannot resist them on the armed fronts.
These powers appoint ministers who will ensure Türkiye’s Western dependence continues. We can easily say that the appointments of figures like Mehmet Şimşek are not made by President Erdoğan, but are decided in Washington, London, and Tel Aviv. Without making fundamental changes in these policies and liberating Türkiye’s economy from Western dependence, it will not be possible to fully fight against American and Israeli aggression.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Türkiye could be a guarantor country for Palestine. Do you think this is a solution? Will it ensure lasting peace? Should this be Türkiye’s concrete step?
Suggestions like these can indeed be debated, but what’s crucial is how these proposals will be implemented and on which strategy they will be based. I just mentioned: You can only halt US-Israel aggression with force. None of these recommendations will have concrete results on the ground without creating an alliance capable of stopping US-Israel aggression.
While Israel bombs Syria, if you are still in conflict with Syria, don’t take the necessary steps in the economy, support American plans in Ukraine, fail to establish substantial footholds in the Eastern Mediterranean, procrastinate the complete elimination of terrorist organizations in Idlib, and engage in business with the British, these proposals won’t be taken seriously by anyone. Even such proposals can be used by the opposing side for American plans. If Türkiye brings together Syria, Iraq, Iran, Russia, China, and the Gulf countries moving away from the Atlantic strategy, then we can compel the US and Israel to step back.
“Policy of balance” of the Erdoğan government
Today, the so-called policy of balance has completely failed in light of the events in Palestine. In fact, it has emerged that this policy serves Western interests entirely. Why is that? Let’s look at the Palestinian issue. Who is supporting Israeli aggression? The US. Yet, the Erdoğan government has recently posed for photographs on US warships, given messages of joint action with the US, and made completely unrealistic statements such as “we are turning new pages with the US” during the meeting with Biden.
The same is true for the European Union policies. In the past month or two, especially after the elections, the agenda of Türkiye has once again been focused on the idea of “joining the European Union”. Today, all of Europe, I am not referring to the people, but all governments, are supporting Israeli aggression. Even the police are intervening in demonstrations for Palestine. So the Erdoğan government, just a month ago, was describing all the countries that supply Israel with weapons and approve of its massacres as “our friends and strategic allies”.
The NATO policy of the Erdoğan government also aligns with its policy towards the US and the EU. The Erdoğan government supported NATO expansion. Note that all NATO countries are now supporting Israel. NATO’s expansion also means further expansion of Israel into Palestinian territories and the massacre of the Palestinian people. Unfortunately, these policies of the Erdoğan government were one of the factors encouraging Israeli aggression.
Moreover, the Erdoğan government did not take a proper stance in the first days. They remained silent, even making statements blaming Hamas. As Israel’s massacres increased, the government started making more resolute statements. However, words and statements are futile. Why? Once again, we go back to the beginning: You can only disrupt Israeli aggression and US plans with force. Notice that merely talking, merely “condemnations” don’t bother Israel in the least. Because you’re not doing anything to thwart their plans. Instead, you’re redirecting the public’s anti-Israel sentiment in the wrong direction by merely talking.