In a "Behind the Lines" analysis for The Jerusalem Post, veteran Middle East correspondent Jonathan Spyer identifies the rising influence of Turkey and an emergent Sunni Islamic alliance as one of the least understood shifts in current regional strategy. Spyer writes that Turkey, Qatar, and Pakistan form the core of this bloc, with efforts underway to draw Saudi Arabia and Egypt into its orbit.
According to Spyer's reporting, Ankara's approach combines close relations with the United States and Western powers with active support for anti-Western Islamist forces, and the rhetoric from Turkish officials leaves little ambiguity about their stance toward Israel. He cites President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's description of "Zionism" as a "genocidal, occupying, expansionist ideology" threatening "everyone," and Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci's June 6 prediction that Jerusalem would eventually be "liberated" as Damascus and Aleppo were.
Turkey's Dominance in Post-Assad Syria
Spyer details how Turkey became the decisive external power in Syria by sheltering the insurgent enclave that enabled President Ahmed al-Sharaa's rise, and by signing an August 2025 agreement to train a new 200,000-strong Syrian army. He notes this force is led by commanders such as Abu Hatem Shaqra and Mohammed al-Jassim, both sanctioned by the US Treasury for grave human rights abuses including the 2019 killing of Kurdish politician Hevrin Khalaf and the forced displacement of Kurdish civilians. Spyer describes the result as "an Islamist-controlled state army" emerging under Turkish tutelage, alongside bilateral trade projected to reach $10 billion annually.
Hamas Ties and Lebanon Influence
The article also reports that Turkey hosts an active Hamas office in Istanbul used for operational planning and fund transfers, noting that senior Hamas figures including the late Ismail Haniyeh traveled on Turkish passports. Spyer links recent remarks by President Trump about a Syrian role in Lebanon to Turkish influence reaching the White House through Special Envoy and Ambassador Tom Barrack, while writing that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff often reflects the positions of Qatar.
A Nuclear-Backed Power Bloc
Spyer's analysis concludes that Qatar's financial reach, Turkey's conventional military capacity, and Pakistan's nuclear arsenal together constitute a "powerful combination," pointing to Pakistan's role in shaping the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding as evidence of the triad's growing diplomatic weight. He warns that this fusion of Islamist proxy support with deep Western institutional ties poses "a major and emergent challenge" for both Israel and Western Middle East policy.
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