FIRST ON FOX: A new report is raising concerns about Turkey’s role in the Middle East, arguing that the country under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has moved away from its traditional Western alignment and toward deeper involvement with Islamist movements, including the Muslim Brotherhood.
This is reported by the Foundation for Defense of Democraciesled by senior colleague Sinan Ciddi and titled ‘Islamist Domination of Turkey: A Forward Base for Muslim Brotherhood-Aligned Jihadism’, states that Turkey has ties to Hamas – the US-designated terrorist group responsible for the October 7 massacre – and to the Muslim Brotherhood – an Islamist movement whose members were recently designated as terrorist organizations by the United States – putting Turkey’s policies under renewed scrutiny as the country prepares to organize a NATO summit.
“What we have is that Turkey has completely rewritten the rules for how you interpret what a jihadist terrorist entity can be,” Ciddi said. “Erdoğan has reinvented what is interpreted as a terrorist entity… groups like Hamas or al-Nusra correspond to his pan-Islamist view of the world.”
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and then Hamas Chairman Khaled Mashal (L) shake hands at the historic Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on June 24, 2016. (Kayhan Ozer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The presence of Hamas draws criticism
A central focus of the report is Turkey’s relationship with Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States, and yet Hamas expanded its presence in Turkey after 2011 by establishing offices and networks in the country.
“Starting in 2011 … Hamas took advantage of this opportunity within Turkey, with a friendly government, to establish offices and engage in recruitment (and) fundraising,” Ciddi said.
US authorities have taken action against some of these networks. The Treasury Department has identified Hamas-linked individuals and entities operating in Turkey, a point Ciddi said underlines long-standing concerns.
“The U.S. Treasury Department has been monitoring and designating Hamas-affiliated NGOs and individuals in Turkey,” he said.
The report also claims that some Hamas operatives have been able to travel using Turkish-issued documents and that senior figures have been publicly received by Erdoğan.
In addition to Hamas, the report describes Turkey as a hub for Muslim Brotherhood figures from across the region, including Egypt and Yemen, many of whom have moved there following the crackdown in their home countries.
The Muslim Brotherhood has been banned or restricted in parts of the Arab world for years.
Egypt banned the movement in 2013, accusing it of inciting unrest and undermining state institutions. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates later named it a terrorist organization and described it as a threat to national stability, while Bahrain took a similar position.
Jordan disbanded its local chapter this year after arrests that authorities said were linked to illegal weapons activities.
Some European countries have also taken steps to target networks linked to the movement.
Austria, for example, has taken legal action against individuals and organizations it says are linked to Brotherhood-related activities, as part of its policy against extremism.
Officials in these countries have argued that the Brotherhood operates through a mix of religious outreach, political activism, charity organizations and media platforms to influence public opinion and challenge state authority.
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People protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza during a protest rally in Istanbul, Turkey, on February 17, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (Khalil Hamra/The Associated Press)
Questions about policy and sanctions in Syria
The report also examines Turkey’s role in Syria, where the country backed opposition forces during the civil war and backed a range of armed factions, including groups that later formed the Syrian National Army.
“The Syrian National Army … was a hodgepodge of militias that Turkey directly armed, paid and organized,” he said.
The report links Turkish support to groups such as al-Nusra and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, raising questions among analysts about whether such ties could expose Turkish officials to potential sanctions under US law.
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U.S. President Donald Trump (R) makes remarks during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office of the White House on September 25, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
A balancing act with Washington
Despite these concerns, other analysts say Turkey’s relationship with the United States remains a barrier to its behavior, while the relationship between Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been marked by renewed trust, with Trump praising Erdoğan’s role in Gaza diplomacy.
When Trump celebrated the Gaza ceasefire in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in October 2025, he singled out one leader for extraordinary praise: Erdoğan, whose leadership he credited with helping realize the Gaza ceasefire.
‘A man who has been a friend of mine for a long time. I don’t know why I like the tough people more than the soft, easy-going people,” Trump said of Erdoğan at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in October 2025. “This gentleman from a place called Turkey is one of the most powerful in the world… He’s a tough cookie – but he’s my friend.”
Hişyar Özsoy, a Turkish politician and academic, described the relationship between Erdoğan and Trump as “transactional,” noting that Washington often relies on Turkey for regional coordination.
In a policy webinar organized by the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, Turkish academic Hüseyin Bağcı emphasized that Ankara remains closely linked to Washington.
“The Turkish state is not interested in fighting with Israel because the Turkish government has very good relations with the United States of America,” he said. “You can’t be good with America and then be in conflict with Israel.”
Bağcı also suggested that Turkey has sometimes restricted Islamic actors domestically.
“Today you will hear about” the Muslim Brotherhood, he said. “No…because the president said stop.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, left, shakes hands with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, right, as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg looks on ahead of a meeting ahead of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Monday, July 10, 2023. (Yves Herman, swimming pool photo via AP)
NATO ally under pressure
Turkey, a member of NATO since 1952, remains an important partner for the United States, providing logistical access, military capabilities and diplomatic reach.
But Ciddi argued that Turkey’s current trajectory is increasingly diverging from alliance priorities.
“There is a proven track record of Turkey significantly undermining the key security challenges of the transatlantic alliance,” he said.
He pointed to U.S. sanctions on Turkish entities accused of supplying dual-use goods to Russia, as well as Ankara’s broader strategy to cultivate ties with competing powers.
Iran and regional positioning
As for Turkey’s positioning amid tensions with Iran, Ciddi said Turkey will likely prefer a weakened Iranian regime rather than a complete collapse that could lead to a more pro-Western government.
“A weakened Iranian regime is Erdoğan’s safest bet,” he said.
Bağcı gave a similar assessment of the rivalry.
“Iran is not an enemy of Turkey, but not necessarily its best friend. Turkey and Iran are two regional competitors,” he said.
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In this May 30, 2015 file photo, supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister and Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Ahmet Davutoglu, some holding Turkish flags, await their appearance in Istanbul at a rally commemorating the anniversary of the city’s conquest by the Ottoman Turks. As extremist violence and political uncertainty cast a shadow over Turkey, voters are looking to parliamentary elections to usher in stability. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
Looking ahead
The report recommends possible U.S. policy responses, including sanctions and increased surveillance of Turkey’s financial system, steps that could reshape relations between Washington and Ankara.
