"It won't look like Iran or Lebanon, the Mediterranean will burn": The dramatic threat from Turkey to Israel
Former Turkish navy senior official Cem Gürdeniz warns that a military confrontation between Israel and Turkey would be unprecedented in scope, taking place in the maritime arena and drawing in additional powers. According to him, Israel cannot afford such a war, which would change the regional balance and also involve Iran.
Former Turkish navy senior official Cem Gürdeniz warns in an interview with Maariv of a full-scale conflagration between Israel and Turkey, which he says would be fundamentally different from previous conflicts in the region. Gürdeniz claims such a war would not be fought only with fighter jets and missiles but would immediately spill over into the maritime arena, with the Mediterranean becoming a central part of the campaign. According to him, Israel cannot afford to risk a war with Turkey under current conditions, especially given the tensions with Iran and other fronts. He outlined a scenario of division into camps: on Israel's side would stand the United States, Britain, Greece, and European countries, while Turkey would need to form a stronger counter-bloc. Gürdeniz argues that Israel suffers from an inherent disadvantage due to its lack of strategic depth and small size, and that American and European support for it is eroding. He proposes imposing restrictions on ships that have visited Israeli ports and hints at a Turkish capability to temporarily disable NATO radar infrastructure. These remarks join other harsh statements in Turkey amid the growing tension with Israel, particularly around Israeli activity in Syria.