Calcalist, published in Israel, wrote that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had transformed Turkey over the past year into an actor in the Middle East that is difficult to ignore and a rival whose influence vis-à-vis Israel is growing. The newspaper stated that economic, commercial and aviation ties in Tel Aviv–Ankara relations had experienced an almost complete rupture, and that, according to Turkey’s Ministry of Trade, direct trade had been at zero since May 2024. It was reported that tensions had spread from Gaza to Syria and that Ankara viewed Israeli attacks as a threat to Turkey. It was noted that Turkey had provided security support to Damascus after the Assad regime was overthrown in December 2024 and was targeting trade worth 5 billion dollars over two years. The report also said that Turkey had increased its influence in Washington and the Arab world, joined the founders of the Gaza Peace Board, signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and that Donald Trump had attended the Ankara NATO Summit on July 7-8.
Why it matters
This picture shows that Turkey–Israel tensions are not limited to bilateral trade relations, and that the Gaza and Syria issues have converged within the same security framework. Ankara’s support for Damascus is moving the rivalry between the two countries into a new arena, as Israel’s actions in Syria are viewed by Turkey as a direct threat. Turkey’s position in Washington, the Arab world and NATO circles is broadening the scope for engagement on regional issues. The zeroing out of direct trade and the trade target set through Syria show that the economic agenda has shifted from bilateral relations to a broader regional framework. The open question is how this security rivalry will be managed without turning into an actual conflict in Syria.
Background
Turkey is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 53 news reports mentioning this name in the past 90 days; the latest is dated September 12, 2026.