Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci declared last month that Jerusalem would one day be "liberated" by Turkey, addi...

Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci declared last month that Jerusalem would one day be "liberated" by Turkey, adding, "As in the past, these lands will be ours once again." Israel's Foreign Ministry fired back immediately, posting on X: "Wake up and smell the coffee. The corrupt Ottoman Empire is gone. Forever." But the rhetoric hasn't stopped there. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly invoked the concept of "gönül sınırları," meaning "borders of the heart," a phrase analysts say reflects his vision of an expanded Turkish sphere of influence stretching well beyond the country's current borders. The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism published a paper just last week warning of an "emerging immediate strategic threat" in Erdogan's rhetoric and policies. Erdogan's actions have backed up the words. In 2020, he converted the Hagia Sophia back into a mosque. Since 2010, Turkish ports have served as the launching point for multiple Gaza flotilla boats. During an Eid al-Fitr mosque visit in March 2025, Erdogan publicly called for Israel's destruction. Last month, the IDF and Shin Bet identified five Hamas operatives directing attacks inside Israel and the West Bank from Turkish territory, and former Mossad counter-terrorism chief Oded Ailam has described Turkey as the "coordination center for Hamas activities." The timing of all this is striking. The NATO Summit opened today in Ankara, July 7, 2026. Meanwhile, the Trump administration confirmed it is actively reviewing how Turkey can legally receive F-35 fighter jets, and is advancing a $700 million sale of F-110 jet engines despite Turkey's continued possession of a Russian air defense system that previously blocked the deal. Turkey has also occupied northern Cyprus for over 50 years, a fact that sits uneasily alongside its NATO membership and now its potential access to next-generation American fighter aircraft. Israel announced last week it will formally recognize the Armenian Genocide, in which an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed under Ottoman rule, 111 years after one of its most documented atrocities. #Turkey #Erdogan #Cyprus