High Tensions! Turkey and Israel are on the verge of a head-on collision

Tensions between Turkey and Israel are growing and threatening to escalate into open confrontation. Israel's 12-day war with Iran has changed the balance of power in the Middle East, writes the Financial Times, citing the opinion of Brookings Institution expert Asli Aydintasbas.

According to his assessment, after the recent war, Israel has become even more self-confident and acts as a regional hegemon, which causes concern in Ankara.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently said: "There is no problem of the Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians, Yemenis or Iranians - there is an Israeli problem".

However, in Turkey, accusations of Israel's attempts to encircle and destabilize Turkey are becoming more vocal. This is no longer just the rhetoric of marginalized people, but a point of view shared by part of the state apparatus and the media.

At the same time, fears of Turkish influence are growing in Israel. Some in the security bloc believe that Turkey poses a greater threat than Iran in the long term. Against this background, Israel has strengthened its ties with the Kurds in Syria, whom Turkey considers enemies.

It is assumed that Syria could be the most likely arena for a direct clash. After the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, Ankara and Tel Aviv are seeking to consolidate their influence there.

At the same time, Turkey already controls much of northern Syria, and Israel is carrying out strikes and supporting Kurdish and Druze autonomies. In April, the Israeli air force bombed a facility intended for a Turkish base.

Diplomatic contacts between the two countries are frozen. And the FT believes that Washington faces a difficult task: balancing relations with two allies whose rivalry could lead to a new crisis in the Middle East.