Turkey Facing Dual Pressure from Washington, Tel Aviv

DID Press: Turkey’s balance-driven policy in West Asia has become more precarious than ever, as 2025 concluded. According to The Cradle, Ankara now finds itself both an active regional player and a target of mounting pressures.

Syria remains the central arena for determining Turkey’s influence and political maneuvering, while recent developments—including the downing of two Turkish military aircraft in Georgia and the death of Libya’s Chief of Staff Hammad, a close Erdogan ally—have further complicated the situation.

Simultaneously, security and energy agreements between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus have intensified pressure on Turkey. Tel Aviv now regards Ankara as the second regional threat after Iran, not due to direct confrontation but because of competition over influence in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean.

In this context, Turkey’s efforts to rebuild ties with the U.S.-Israel axis face serious internal and regional obstacles. Erdogan’s foreign policy, which has oscillated between East and West over the past two decades, is now entangled in a complex network of overlapping fronts.