Erdogan Builds Sunni Alliance to Encircle Israel

While global attention often focuses on Iran and its Shi’ite axis, another realignment is unfolding across the Middle East quieter, calculated, and potentially just as consequential for Israel and its allies.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has embarked on an ambitious diplomatic campaign aimed at consolidating Sunni powers under Ankara’s influence. His objective is not simply reconciliation with former rivals. It is the construction of a coordinated Sunni bloc capable of reshaping regional dynamics and, in practice, constraining Israel’s strategic space.

In early February 2026, Erdogan toured key regional capitals. He visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Istanbul. These meetings were not ceremonial. They represented the culmination of a normalization process that began in 2022, as Turkey repaired strained ties caused by its earlier support for the Muslim Brotherhood and disputes with Gulf states.

The Turkish-Saudi rapprochement stands out. After years of tension following the 2018 Jamal Khashoggi affair, Ankara and Riyadh have pivoted toward pragmatic cooperation. Agreements reportedly include $2 billion in Saudi renewable energy investments in Turkey, expanded defense collaboration, and ambitious trade targets approaching $50 billion.

Strategically, the relationship signals growing alignment on regional matters from Syria to Gaza where Israel is increasingly framed by Turkish officials as a destabilizing actor.

Egypt marks an equally dramatic shift. After a decade of hostility triggered by Turkey’s backing of the Muslim Brotherhood following President Mohamed Morsi’s ouster, Erdogan’s visit to Cairo signaled a reset. A new $350 million military cooperation framework reportedly covers joint weapons production, intelligence sharing, and defense technology transfers.

For Israel, Egypt’s participation carries particular weight. As guardian of the Suez Canal and a dominant North African power, Cairo influences maritime routes critical to Israeli commerce and security.

Jordan, despite its longstanding peace treaty with Israel, has also strengthened coordination with Turkey. Joint statements emphasize shared concerns over regional stability in Syria and Gaza, signaling a gradual diplomatic convergence.

On February 9, foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates issued a communiqué condemning “Israeli expansionist policies” and calling for greater Islamic unity. Israeli analysts interpreted the declaration as evidence of a growing coalition of interests, with Turkey positioned as a central organizing force.

Yet this emerging Sunni alignment is not without internal limits. Saudi Arabia remains the custodian of Islam’s holiest sites and unlikely to cede religious leadership. Egypt retains unmatched demographic and military weight. The UAE continues to pursue normalization and technological cooperation with Israel, diverging sharply from Erdogan’s ideological leanings.

Nevertheless, the pattern is unmistakable. Turkey is leveraging economic partnerships, defense agreements, and diplomatic forums to expand influence from North Africa to the Red Sea. In Libya, Sudan, and Somalia, Ankara’s footprint is growing through military bases, intelligence coordination, and infrastructure investments.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait a vital artery for Israeli and global trade is increasingly surrounded by Turkish- and Saudi-linked defense initiatives. The stated objective is securing maritime stability. The strategic implication is greater leverage over regional shipping lanes.

For Israel, the concern is cumulative rather than immediate. Erdogan’s strategy does not rely on open confrontation. It emphasizes gradual encirclement through diplomacy, economics, and multilateral institutions such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded with firm red lines. He has publicly rejected Turkish or Qatari military involvement in Gaza reconstruction efforts, asserting that Israel alone will determine which actors operate in its immediate security environment.

This stance underscores a broader reality: Israel remains vigilant in safeguarding its sovereignty and long-term strategic interests, even when pressures emerge from shifting alliances.

The Middle East is undergoing transformation. Iran’s Shi’ite crescent may be under strain, but a new Sunni alignment is taking shape one defined less by overt hostility and more by coordinated influence.

For Israel, the lesson is clear. Strategic foresight, diversified partnerships, and national unity remain essential. As new configurations emerge, the Jewish state continues to demonstrate that it will defend its interests with clarity and confidence.

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