Israel hits Syrian base as analysts warn of rising Turkey-Qatar Islamist influence
An Israeli air raid on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airfield underscored warnings that Turkey, supported by Qatar, is emerging as a larger Islamist threat than Iran.
On August 18, Israel launched missiles at the Abu al-Duhur air base in Syria's Idlib region, targeting runway and storage facilities after reports that Turkey was preparing to deploy forces there. Itay Medina, head of the Security Policy Institute at the Israel Defense and Security Forum, warned that Turkey, with Qatar's financial backing, aims to build a “new Ottoman Islamic empire” that could outstrip Iran's regional reach.
He highlighted Turkey's military involvement in Libya, Somalia, northern Iraq and Gaza as part of this broader Islamist axis. Medina emphasized that Israel's strike serves both its own security interests and the wider goal of preventing a new radical Islamic power from dominating the Middle East. He urged the West to recognize the Turkey-Qatar partnership as a strategic threat before it expands further. The analysis contrasts Turkey's ambitions with Iran's more covert proxy strategy, suggesting the former poses a more immediate danger to regional stability.
Why it matters
Understanding Turkey and Qatar's coordinated push could reshape Western security policies in the Middle East.
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