Tensions between Israel and Turkey are rising due to competing visions for Gaza reconstruction and rising strategic friction in Syria, even as both countries remain embedded in a US-led diplomatic framework following the ceasefire with Hamas.
Dan Diker, chairman of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, said Israel views Turkey as a strategic threat rather than a neutral player.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU PUSHES BACK ON ‘FAKE SPINS’, SUGGESTING TENSION BETWEEN HIM AND TRUMP
US President Donald Trump addresses the media next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives for rallies at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Diker said Erdogan’s ambitions extend beyond Gaza, pointing to Turkey’s military presence in northwestern Syria and what he described as Ankara’s long-standing role in enabling radical Islamist groups in the country.
In Trump’s comments at Mar-a-Lago on Monday during his press conference with Prime Minister Netanyahu, he repeatedly praised Erdogan and downplayed concerns about a possible confrontation between Israel and Turkey.
“I know President Erdogan very well, he is a very good friend of mine,” Trump said. ‘Bibi respects him… They won’t have a problem. Nothing will happen.’ Netanyahu smiled and made no comment.
At the same time, Trump publicly joined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the future of Gaza, making his strongest statement yet that Hamas must disarm.
“They agreed that they would disarm,” Trump said. “If they don’t disarm, those same countries will wipe out Hamas.”
TRUMP SIGNALS NEW CONFIDENCE IN ERDOGAN, CAUSING CONCERNS ABOUT TURKEY’S AMBITION IN GAZA AND BEYOND
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) delivers remarks during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office of the White House on September 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
According to Diker, the president is deliberately managing tensions with Ankara by keeping Erdogan within the diplomatic framework rather than confronting him publicly.
“President Trump is very, very good at keeping adversaries close together, along with allies,” Diker said. “That’s why he keeps saying he likes Erdogan. He wants to keep Erdogan in the party. He wants to keep him close.”
Diker said Trump understands his own influence in the region and believes he can bring together Arab and Islamic states when it serves U.S. and Israeli interests, citing coordination during the first phase of the hostage deal.
Diker said Netanyahu is now walking a fine line, trying not to undermine the framework Trump has built while ensuring Israel’s red security lines are maintained.
The IDF announced that as part of the ceasefire agreement and in accordance with the directives of the political echelon, IDF forces under the Southern Command have begun marking the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to achieve tactical clarity on the ground. (IDF)
“Israel will not allow Turkish forces into Gaza. That’s not going to happen,” Diker said, adding that Israel may still be forced to make limited compromises to maintain Trump’s broader support, especially for Iran.
Outside Gaza, Israel sees Turkey’s role in Syria as a growing point of friction. Ankara maintains its influence in large parts of northern Syria, while Israel has continued air operations targeting Iranian targets.
Sinan Ciddi, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, warned in an analysis that Turkey sees regional cooperation aimed at Israel as a direct challenge to its ambitions.
TRUMP FACES TEST IN MIDDLE EAST AS NETANYAHU BLOCKS ERDOGAN’S GAZA TROOPS
Destroyed buildings lie in Gaza, seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 28, 2025. (Reuters)
Ciddi cited a trilateral summit between Israel, Greece and Cyprus in Jerusalem as a flashpoint, arguing it was a sign of resistance to Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine and broader maritime claims in the eastern Mediterranean.
After the summit, pro-Erdogan media outlets described Israel as a major threat, while Turkey stepped up military activities that alarmed US allies, including violations of airspace near Greece and reporting attempts to expand radar coverage in Syria that could hinder Israeli operations against Iran.
Diker said Israel’s recognition of Somaliland adds another layer to the rivalry, especially in the Red Sea region. “The Turks are working in Somalia. They are also working to control and influence what is happening in the Red Sea region,” Diker said. “That is why the development of Somaliland is very important.”
He argued that the move gives Israel a strategic foothold along a vital maritime corridor.
“Israel then has a strategic base, a forward base in Somaliland on the Red Sea,” Diker said. “Very, very important, because it will checkmate Turkey.”
Diker said Ankara’s move was seen as a direct challenge to Turkey’s ambitions in the Horn of Africa, adding that the Trump administration had “expressed its understanding” of Israel’s decision.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
A Turkish-backed fighter looks out from a military position in the Syrian area of Jibrin in Aleppo’s eastern countryside, towards the Kurdish-controlled Tal Rifaat area, on July 19, 2022. (Bakr Alkasem/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite Erdogan’s harsh rhetoric towards Israel and his vocal support for the Palestinian cause, Turkish diplomatic sources say Ankara is acting pragmatically. Although Turkey sees financial and political opportunities in rebuilding Gaza, these sources say Erdogan is aware that there is little appetite at home to send Turkish troops to the enclave.
That gap between rhetoric and policy is likely to persist, analysts say. As Diker put it, Trump is trying to keep the diplomatic structure intact while Israel is trying to contain Turkey’s growing regional footprint. “Trump doesn’t want to upset the apple cart,” Diker said. “He wants to try to keep everyone together so they can move to phase two of the 20-point plan in Gaza.”
