As is well known, over the last decade, the Republic of Türkiye has created an extraordinary range of relationships. Alongside the regions where it has a historical mission, and through the alliances it has newly established, Türkiye has built partnerships across a wide geography stretching from the Far East to the Balkans, and from Africa to the Middle East.
Seen from one perspective, we are facing a Türkiye that has established strategic, commercial and diplomatic networks with countries across the world, from Somalia, Libya and Azerbaijan to Iraq, Syria, Malaysia and Indonesia.
As all these developments have continued at lightning speed, we are witnessing step by step the role Türkiye is assuming in a multipolar world in which the balance of power is changing, through the alliances and new relationships it has established.
While all these developments continue on their own scale, the recently emerging Mecca pact has, in one respect, attracted global attention and has evolved into a powerful alliance capable of affecting regional and global equations.
This security and defense alliance, built by three institutional states, could attract other states over time. Egypt is one of the high-potential candidates; participation in the alliance is under discussion.
On the other hand, I would like to give Libya as an example of forced and misguided alliances. In this negative example, the government of Fayez al-Sarraj, then head of the Presidential Council of the legitimate Libyan state, and Gen. Khalifa Haftar confronted each other, and the country had effectively been divided in two. The major provinces, vast desert territories, and almost 80% of the country were under the control of Haftar. The capital, at the level of a tiny province, remained in the hands of the legitimate government.
Türkiye was the only supporter of the Sarraj government, while on the other side of the equation were Russia’s Wagner force, and Greece and Israel were also directly part of the equation. Egypt was implicitly part of the alliance. Although it was not visible, the U.S. was also part of the alliance from behind the scenes. The behind-the-scenes network of allies involved almost 78 states, including Sudan, Chad, and the United Arab Emirates.
But after a few years, Türkiye had both expanded its influence and strengthened the legitimate government. Today, the Haftar government and Haftar supporters are negotiating with Türkiye with a view to ultimately forming a united Libya within the legitimate government. And Egypt, once the strongest actor on the other side, is today working together with Türkiye to ensure that Libya attains a unitary structure. The Libya example is an important one in showing that forced artificial alliances are unlikely to be very lasting.
In the situation today, if a strong and unified Libya is to emerge, it would hinge on the convergence of Türkiye, which supported and strengthened the country, Egypt, which supports it, and Italy, which has long had significant influence over Libya, all backing the process – and reportedly, endorsement from the U.S.
As in the case of Libya, it is becoming clear that alliances without a strategic foundation, built merely on hostility and opposition, are not so effective and functional.
On the other hand, there is the State of Israel, which, since the day it was founded, has lived solely for itself and which, let alone accepting another state or another race, does not even regard any Christian or Muslim outside the Jewish community as a human being.
As is well known, the genocidal Israeli state, which has killed 100,000 people in Gaza in an attempt to destroy Muslims, has also not refrained from bombing churches. In the West Bank and Beirut, they have not refrained from striking ancient churches with missiles while at the same time sentencing the Christians living there to disappear.
Türkiye is a country with an imperial tradition. From morning until evening, every day, it does not make Greece or Israel the focus of its agenda or discussions. Yet, these two small states constantly make Türkiye their agenda and rhetoric. Because in their subconscious, Türkiye still carries the legacy of a great empire.
Every step Türkiye takes is consistent with its own historical mission and is based on its own strength – on the strength of its army and its nation.
There is, in one respect, a Türkiye moving forward with self-confidence, forming alliances and steadily expanding its influence, and the alliances Türkiye has established are legitimate and based on a mission.
By contrast, the alliance Greece and Israel are attempting to construct is based on hostility, and the prospects for alliances built on such a foundation are hardly bright, as in the Libya example.
Especially if the Greeks believe that Israel will help Greece in difficult times, they may now reconsider this belief by looking once again at the situation of Christians in the West Bank.
Israel is gradually losing the support of many Western states, including Britain, France and Belgium. Greece is concerned with benefiting equally from both the European Union and Israel. Yet, as legitimate states are distancing themselves from Israel, Greece’s submission to Israel remains another mystery.
