Erdoğan Meets with Victory Party Leader Özdağ Amid Political Tensions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has met with Ümit Özdağ, the leader of the Victory Party, marking a significant new phase in Turkish politics. The meeting comes as Erdoğan faces mounting pressure over his balancing act regarding Israel, with increasingly vocal opponents calling for the closure of a NATO defense system allegedly used to support the Jewish state.

Why this matters: This development has significant implications for Turkey's relationships with both Israel and the NATO alliance, and could have far-reaching consequences for regional security and stability. As Erdoğan navigates these complex political tensions, his decisions will be closely watched by the international community.

Islamist politician Fatih Erbakan has demanded the shutdown of the Kurecik radar installation, claiming it is used to support Israel. Erdoğan has denied that Israel has access to intelligence from the facility, which can detect missile launches from the region, including from Iran. Erbakan, the son of Turkey's first Islamist prime minister, has risen to prominence after abandoning an alliance with Erdoğan's AK Party and recording the third-best result in March local elections.

"This base must be closed," Erbakan declared. Erdoğan countered, "It's not known whether the facility played a part in Israel's largely successful defense of about 300 drones and missiles launched last month from the Islamist Republic." The president dismissed allegations that the Israeli military might have access to information obtained by the radar installation, stating, "Islam does not tolerate disseminating lies."

Turkey has confirmed it will halt all trade with Israel until the country allows uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz criticized the move, calling it "the behavior of a dictator who tramples the interests of the Turkish people and business community while ignoring international trade agreements."

The Kurecik radar installation, a NATO base capable of detecting ballistic missile launches in the region, was agreed to be hosted by Turkey in 2011 as part of the missile defense architecture of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Erdoğan previously said he would be prepared to shut down Kurecik amid a dispute with the U.S. over the acquisition of Russian air defenses, but is unlikely to do so now.

Erdoğan's meeting with Özdağ comes as he faces pressure from increasingly vocal opponents, including Erbakan, who are calling for the closure of the Kurecik radar installation. This development marks a new political phase in Türkiye, as Erdoğan strives to balance Turkey's membership in the NATO Western alliance with opposition to Israel from his religious base.

Key Takeaways

• Turkish President Erdoğan meets with Victory Party leader Ümit Özdağ amid pressure over Israel.
• Erdoğan faces calls to shut down NATO's Kurecik radar installation, allegedly used to support Israel.
• Islamist politician Fatih Erbakan demands closure, citing support for Israel, which Erdoğan denies.
• Turkey halts trade with Israel until humanitarian aid flows freely to Gaza.
• Erdoğan's decisions will impact Turkey's relationships with Israel, NATO, and regional security.