Under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey is pursuing a bold and ideological plan that could reshape the Middle East and pose a serious challenge to Israel’s security.
Israeli terrorism expert Dr. Ely Karmon of Reichman University warned that “if Erdoğan’s plan to take over Syria in the military domain succeeds and he receives approval for a military force, legitimacy and Qatari money for construction in Gaza, Turkey will largely replace the Iranian dream of enclosing Israel in a more dangerous military and political ring.”
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Karmon said Erdoğan’s anti-Israel stance is rooted in faith-based hostility, explaining, “Erdoğan has strong anti-Israel feelings, based on deep-rooted religious beliefs. Erdoğan simply despises Israel.”
Supporting Hamas and Undermining Israel
Turkey’s ties with Hamas date back to 2006, when Erdoğan invited its leaders to Ankara. That connection deepened after the Mavi Marmara flotilla incident in 2010, when Turkish militants attempted to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
Karmon added that Turkey has poured “about $63 million” into East Jerusalem groups that promote radical activism, including those who “harassed and physically attacked Jews visiting the Temple Mount.”
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Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, Erdoğan called Israel’s counterattack a “massacre” and refused to condemn Hamas. By March 2024, he declared, “No one can make us declare Hamas a terrorist organization,” comparing Israel’s leaders to “Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin.” The next month, Turkey severed all economic ties with Israel.
A Neo-Ottoman Vision
With the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, Turkey has moved quickly to fill the power vacuum. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declared that in this “new era, Turkey is the shepherd and protector” of Syrian factions.
Former Mossad official Oded Ailam warned Erdoğan seeks to “resurrect the Ottoman empire and turn into a modern sultan.” He cautioned, “If the Mediterranean Sea is a game board, Erdogan has already placed more than a queen on it. He placed a whole fleet.”
Prophetic Implications
These moves echo the coming Gog-Magog war described in Ezekiel 38–39, when a coalition of nations from the north, including regions many scholars associate with modern Turkey, Iran and Russia, will gather against Israel in the last days.
Ezekiel foretold that “Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal” will lead this invasion, only for God Himself to intervene and deliver Israel in a display of divine power. The ancient names Meshech and Tubal are traced to areas of modern Asia Minor, corresponding closely with Turkey’s territory today.
As Erdoğan expands influence in Syria, allies with Hamas, and strengthens ties with Iran and Qatar, the framework of that prophecy appears to be taking shape. What once seemed distant now feels uncomfortably near.
The headlines out of Ankara and Jerusalem serve as a reminder that global events are not random. They are converging in ways Scripture warned would happen as the world moves closer to the return of Christ.
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This is not a time to look away, but to pay attention, discern the times, and stay spiritually prepared. As Jesus said in Matthew 24, “When you see all these things, know that it is near.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
