Turkey’s Tolerance of Extremism Becomes Too Close for Comfort for Washington

Turkey has positioned itself as a global hub for militant organisations and foreign intelligence services, simultaneously hosting Hamas commanders, Russian intelligence operatives, Iranian officials and NATO diplomats. This precarious balancing act has long raised eyebrows in Western capitals, but recent developments suggest the arrangement may be reaching a breaking point. The attempted assassination of Donald Trump, reportedly involving connections to Turkey-based operatives, signals that Washington can no longer afford to overlook Ankara’s permissive stance towards potentially hostile elements within its borders. For years, American officials have largely turned a blind eye to Turkey’s hosting of various militant and intelligence networks, viewing it as a necessary compromise to maintain strategic ties with a NATO ally positioned at a crucial geopolitical crossroads. However, the convergence of Russian, Iranian and Hamas operations on Turkish soil—combined with potential links to domestic security threats against American leaders—suggests this tolerance has reached its limits. The Trump assassination attempt should serve as a wake-up call that Turkey’s role as a neutral meeting ground for adversaries and allies alike poses direct risks to American national security. Whether Washington will finally pressure Ankara to change course remains unclear, but the current model appears increasingly untenable for policymakers in the Biden and Trump administrations alike.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.