Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strongman tactics render him appealing to those who are most dedicated to the vision of Islamic expansion. They are increasingly regarding him as “leader of the Muslim world,” particularly since the UAE-Israel peace agreement. Erdogan’s “popularity with Palestinians reflects his long championing of their struggle for nationhood and comes as their cause has slid down the list of regional concerns,” and their gratitude has been evident:
At Friday prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, the faithful often hold up portraits of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, worshipping under the gleaming gold crescent on the Dome of the Rock that was paid for by Turkey. Mr Erdogan’s popularity with Palestinians reflects his long championing of their struggle for nationhood and comes as their cause has slid down the list of regional concerns, sidelined by Israel’s wooing of the Gulf states. He has stepped into that vacuum, coupling his adventures in Libya and Syria with a desire to wield influence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In response to the Israel-UAE peace deal, the polarities in the Muslim world are becoming stark. Hamas MP Mushir Al-Masri has accused the UAE of “high treason against Allah” and likened the UAE to “an adulteress who is marrying an adulterer.” Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “vowed that there would be dangerous consequences for the United Arab Emirates.” The IRGC “called the deal a ‘shameful’ agreement and an ‘evil action’ that was underwritten by the U.S.”
Although divided by the old Sunni-Shi’a enmity, Iran and Turkey share enemies and expansionary ambitions. The two countries “are increasingly coordinating policies across the Middle East as they work together on several issues.” One of those issues is “support for Hamas and also their antipathy toward Israel.” Events are unfolding rapidly. A few weeks ago, Turkey hosted a large Hamas delegation, and right after that, Turkey granted citizenship to dozens of the most senior Hamas jihadist operatives and their families. And Erdogan’s latest threat is bound to appeal to the most devout jihadists. He stated: “We are not a society that has an army – we are a nation that is itself an army.”
“Erdogan and Hamas: ‘He’s presenting himself as leader of Muslim world,’” by Mehul Srivastava and Laura Pitel , Financial Times, September 9, 2020:
At Friday prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, the faithful often hold up portraits of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, worshipping under the gleaming gold crescent on the Dome of the Rock that was paid for by Turkey.
Mr Erdogan’s popularity with Palestinians reflects his long championing of their struggle for nationhood and comes as their cause has slid down the list of regional concerns, sidelined by Israel’s wooing of the Gulf states.
He has stepped into that vacuum, coupling his adventures in Libya and Syria with a desire to wield influence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
For Israel the most troubling aspect is his embrace of Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, and is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the EU and the US.
The US, a close Israel ally, has also voiced concerns. Last month, in a rare public statement on this relationship, it strongly objected to Mr Erdogan hosting two Hamas leaders in Istanbul, chiding him for his “outreach to the terrorist organisation”.
The US rebuke came after Mr Erdogan tweeted a photo of his meeting with Hamas figures, including Saleh al-Arouri, a prominent military commander who worked in Lebanon, Syria and the occupied West Bank.
There are both geopolitical and ideological considerations here,” said Sarah Feuer, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the INSS in Tel Aviv, referring to Turkey’s regional rivalry with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
“Erdogan sees emerging alliances in the region as a threat but he’s also presenting himself as the leader of the Muslim world and flag bearer for Islamist movements, to counter the Emirati-Saudi-Egyptian camp. There’s a broader struggle still under way over the contours of the regional order, and that is partly what motivates him.”…
At Friday prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, the faithful often hold up portraits of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, worshipping under the gleaming gold crescent on the Dome of the Rock that was paid for by Turkey. Mr Erdogan’s popularity with Palestinians reflects his long championing of their struggle for nationhood and comes as their cause has slid down the list of regional concerns, sidelined by Israel’s wooing of the Gulf states. He has stepped into that vacuum, coupling his adventures in Libya and Syria with a desire to wield influence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In response to the Israel-UAE peace deal, the polarities in the Muslim world are becoming stark. Hamas MP Mushir Al-Masri has accused the UAE of “high treason against Allah” and likened the UAE to “an adulteress who is marrying an adulterer.” Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “vowed that there would be dangerous consequences for the United Arab Emirates.” The IRGC “called the deal a ‘shameful’ agreement and an ‘evil action’ that was underwritten by the U.S.”
Although divided by the old Sunni-Shi’a enmity, Iran and Turkey share enemies and expansionary ambitions. The two countries “are increasingly coordinating policies across the Middle East as they work together on several issues.” One of those issues is “support for Hamas and also their antipathy toward Israel.” Events are unfolding rapidly. A few weeks ago, Turkey hosted a large Hamas delegation, and right after that, Turkey granted citizenship to dozens of the most senior Hamas jihadist operatives and their families. And Erdogan’s latest threat is bound to appeal to the most devout jihadists. He stated: “We are not a society that has an army – we are a nation that is itself an army.”
“Erdogan and Hamas: ‘He’s presenting himself as leader of Muslim world,’” by Mehul Srivastava and Laura Pitel , Financial Times, September 9, 2020:
At Friday prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, the faithful often hold up portraits of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, worshipping under the gleaming gold crescent on the Dome of the Rock that was paid for by Turkey.
Mr Erdogan’s popularity with Palestinians reflects his long championing of their struggle for nationhood and comes as their cause has slid down the list of regional concerns, sidelined by Israel’s wooing of the Gulf states.
He has stepped into that vacuum, coupling his adventures in Libya and Syria with a desire to wield influence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
For Israel the most troubling aspect is his embrace of Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, and is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the EU and the US.
The US, a close Israel ally, has also voiced concerns. Last month, in a rare public statement on this relationship, it strongly objected to Mr Erdogan hosting two Hamas leaders in Istanbul, chiding him for his “outreach to the terrorist organisation”.
The US rebuke came after Mr Erdogan tweeted a photo of his meeting with Hamas figures, including Saleh al-Arouri, a prominent military commander who worked in Lebanon, Syria and the occupied West Bank.
There are both geopolitical and ideological considerations here,” said Sarah Feuer, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the INSS in Tel Aviv, referring to Turkey’s regional rivalry with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
“Erdogan sees emerging alliances in the region as a threat but he’s also presenting himself as the leader of the Muslim world and flag bearer for Islamist movements, to counter the Emirati-Saudi-Egyptian camp. There’s a broader struggle still under way over the contours of the regional order, and that is partly what motivates him.”…
