Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday evening convened a special security meeting regarding Türkiye’s “increasing influence” in the Middle East, according to a report in The Jerusalem Post quoting two Israeli officials.
The meeting suggests how much importance Israeli officials ascribe to and possibly even fear the possibility that Türkiye’s influence in the region will grow following the downfall of the Assad regime in Syria, Jerusalem Post wrote.
The meeting included Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and senior officials from the Foreign Ministry and the defense establishment, the sources said.
It was organized to discuss the so-called question of Turkish influence in the region and to analyze whether there is any change in the “threat level” of Türkiye toward Israel now that its influence in the region has grown, they said.
An Israeli official expects Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, too, to convene a meeting in the coming days about Türkiye’s “increasing influence.”
The latest report from the Nagel Committee, which was set up by Netanyahu’s orders, stated Tel Aviv should be prepared for “a potential conflict” with Türkiye.
The report follows a similar warning by Türkiye that expansionist Israel may target Türkiye after Palestine and Lebanon.
Last October, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that the Netanyahu administration would not stop at Palestinian territories and would set its sights on other regional countries, namely Türkiye.
Erdoğan said back then that Türkiye was “aware where Israel’s expansionist policies will ultimately target” and assured: “Türkiye will never compromise its security. We have the strength to burst their bubble.”
Erdoğan, one of the most virulent critics of Israel, has repeatedly called for unity among Muslim countries, arguing the current conflict was not between Israel and Palestine but “a fight between expansionist Zionism and Muslims defending their homeland.”
The report by the committee urged Israel to take into account the strategic challenges posed by Türkiye, including Ankara’s diplomatic and military clout in the region.
It recommended the government prepare for possible scenarios of military confrontation in northern Syria.
Syria’s north hosts both the PKK terrorist group’s Syrian wing YPG, which has repeatedly sought Israel’s aid against possible Turkish cross-border offensives, as well as the Syrian National Army (SNA), which recently captured several PKK/YPG strongholds.
Türkiye in the past launched cross-border offensives in Syria to clear several areas from the PKK/YPG and Daesh terrorist groups.