Nuclear Ambitions and an Overwhelming Hatred of Israel: Is Turkey ‘The New Iran’?

In this Harbingers Daily article, Soeren Kern warns that Turkey’s recent public discussion of acquiring nuclear weapons reflects more than regional anxiety. The piece argues that Ankara’s ambitions, anti-Israel hostility, and expanding military posture are making Turkey look increasingly like a future Iran-style threat to Israel.

• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey “may be forced” to acquire nuclear weapons to counterbalance Israel and Iran and prevent them from dominating the Middle East.
• The article connects Fidan’s remarks to past comments from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has argued that it is unfair for nuclear-armed powers to deny Turkey the same capability.
• Turkey currently depends on NATO’s nuclear umbrella, including U.S. nuclear weapons reportedly stored at Incirlik Air Base, but the article suggests Ankara may be questioning whether that protection is enough.
• A July 2025 Research Istanbul poll cited in the article found that more than 70% of Turks support a Turkish nuclear weapons capability because they doubt NATO would defend Turkey in an attack.
• Turkey is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, meaning its civilian nuclear program is monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency, but analysts warn civilian nuclear infrastructure can create technical pathways toward weapons capability.
• Middle East analysts Sinan Ciddi and Andrea Stricker are cited warning that Turkey’s civilian nuclear-energy program could give Ankara the infrastructure, know-how, and training needed for a future weapons effort if misused.
• The article frames Erdoğan’s broader goal as restoring Turkey’s great-power status through military expansion, regional influence, and possibly unconventional weapons.
• Israeli scholar Noa Lazimi is cited arguing that Turkey’s nuclear ambitions are tied to its self-image as a regional power seeking an Ottoman-style sphere of influence.
• Middle East expert Yoni Ben Menachem goes further, saying Erdoğan is working to encircle Israel by consolidating Sunni powers into an anti-Israel regional alignment, leading him to conclude that “Turkey is the new Iran.”
• Harbingers Daily adds a prophetic note, connecting Turkey’s posture to Ezekiel 38–39 and the future Gog-Magog coalition, emphasizing Turkey’s growing alignment with anti-Israel forces such as Iran and Russia.

Read the full story: https://harbingersdaily.com/nuclear-ambitions-and-an-overwhelming-hatred-of-israel-is-turkey-the-new-iran/