For months, many countries have warned of an escalation in the war in the Middle East. These concerns are now magnified in the wake of Iran's latest attack on Israel.

Iran is one of the regional powers in the Middle East. Another is Turkey, and Ankara has been on the side of the Palestinian people since Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip in response to the October 7, 2023 attack by the terrorist organization Hamas. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly accused Israel of committing "genocide." He has also repeatedly emphasized that he does not see Hamas as a terrorist organization and often speaks of his "Palestinian brothers."

Erdogan recently stoked fears within his own population: In a speech to the Turkish parliament on October 1, 2024, he accused Israel of also wanting to attack Turkey. "The Israeli government, which has gone mad in the Holy Land, will possibly target our homeland with its religious fanaticism after Palestine and Lebanon," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dreams of occupying Anatolia and is "chasing a utopia," Erdogan added.

But experts see Erdogan's statements as unrealistic. "I think this scenario........

© Deutsche Welle