After Iran: Is Erdogan’s Turkey the Middle East’s Next Great Threat? (feat. Steven A. Cook and Jonathan Schanzer)
Summary
Host Mark Dubowitz joins experts Stephen Cook and John Schanzer to analyze Turkey’s rise as a revisionist power filling the void left by a weakening Iran. They discuss Erdogan’s fusion of nationalism and Islamism, his support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and Turkey’s aggressive regional expansion. The panel debates whether Turkey poses a greater long-term strategic threat to Israel than Iran and questions its continued suitability as a NATO ally.
Topics discussed
Introduction and guest backgrounds
Turkey's regional power projection and Abraham Accords
Turkey-Iran relations and the Mecca agreement
Turkey's support for Hamas and Islamist movements
Nuance on Erdogan: Ideologue vs. Pragmatist
National View ideology and Muslim Brotherhood ties
Erdogan's relationship with Egypt and the Arab Spring
Is Turkey becoming the next Iran?
Turkish military presence in Syria, Iraq, and Gaza
Israeli security concerns and US policy challenges
Turkey's NATO membership and S-400 controversy
Turkey's ambiguous relationship with Russia
Lightning round: Turkey as a strategic threat
Turkey's stance on Iran's survival and Syria
Turkey's nuclear ambitions and defense industry
Future of Turkey: Can the regime be reversed?
Social Islamization and domestic backlash
Post-Erdogan scenarios and conclusion
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