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The Crescent Ascending

Turkey’s Neo-Ottoman Challenge to Israeli Regional Hegemony

The recent revelation of an Israeli intelligence operation that exposed a Turkey-based Hamas cell’s alleged plot to assassinate National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir represents far more than an isolated security incident. Rather, it constitutes a crystallization of the profound structural transformation in Turkish-Israeli relations that has evolved under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s neo-Ottoman foreign policy paradigm, a diplomatic architecture that has systematically repositioned Turkey as a patron of Palestinian resistance organizations while simultaneously severing the strategic foundations of its historically cooperative relationship with Israel.

The Strategic Architecture of Turkish-Hamas Cooperation

The intelligence operation, disclosed by Israel’s Shin Bet security service, revealed that Hamas operatives based in the West Bank had allegedly received approximately $2,000 from Turkish contacts to procure explosive-laden drones for the assassination attempt. According to Israeli investigators, this cell operated “under the command of Hamas leadership in Turkey,” suggesting not merely isolated criminal activity but rather a systematic operational infrastructure that leverages Turkey’s territorial sovereignty for strategic planning against Israeli targets. Turkish officials noted that the allegations were tied to an incident from approximately eight months prior to the September 2025 announcement, indicating that the operational planning had been under investigation for an extended period.

This operational dimension reflects the institutionalization of Turkey’s support for Hamas that has evolved significantly since the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, which resulted in the deaths of nine Turkish nationals and one Turkish-American, with a tenth victim (Ugur Süleyman Söylemez) dying in May 2014 after four years in a coma. The incident marked a watershed moment that fundamentally altered the trajectory of Turkish-Israeli relations, transforming Turkey from a strategic partner into what many Israeli policymakers now perceive as a hostile regional actor.

Turkey’s denial of involvement in the assassination plot, characterizing the allegations as a “deliberate disinformation campaign,” reflects the complex diplomatic calculus that Ankara maintains regarding its Hamas relationship. Turkish officials consistently argue that they host only Hamas’s political leadership while providing no military support, a distinction that Israeli intelligence appears to challenge through documented evidence of operational coordination. Following reports in November 2024 about Hamas leadership relocating from Qatar to Turkey, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources clarified that “Members of Hamas’s political bureau visit Turkey from time to time. However, claims about relocation of the Hamas political office to Turkey do not reflect the truth”.

Neo-Ottomanism and Erdoğan’s Regional Vision

The theoretical framework of neo-Ottomanism provides essential analytical context for understanding Turkey’s contemporary Middle Eastern engagement strategy. Under Erdoğan’s leadership, Turkey has pursued what scholars characterize as a “reinvigoration of Turkish influence in the Middle Eastern region” aimed at establishing “Ankara as the pre-eminent power in the neighbourhood”. This strategic orientation represents a fundamental departure from Turkey’s traditional Kemalist foreign policy of Western alignment and regional restraint.

Erdoğan’s neo-Ottoman vision encompasses several interconnected dimensions that directly impact Turkish-Israeli relations. First, the ideological component emphasizes Turkey’s claimed leadership of the Sunni Islamic world, positioning Ankara as the defender of Palestinian rights and the liberator of Islamic holy sites. This manifested dramatically during Erdoğan’s July 2020 speech on Hagia Sophia’s conversion into a mosque, when he declared that next in line was the “liberation of Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem”. The statement, published in Arabic with more explicit language than its Turkish and English versions, explicitly connected the Hagia Sophia conversion to the “return of freedom to al-Aqsa,” effectively calling for the removal of Israeli control over Jerusalem’s Old City.

Second, the geopolitical dimension involves Turkey’s systematic expansion of influence across former Ottoman territories, including Syria, Libya, and the Eastern Mediterranean. This territorial ambition creates direct strategic competition with Israeli interests, particularly regarding Syrian developments and Eastern Mediterranean energy resources. Turkey’s military interventions in Syria, ostensibly targeting Kurdish forces, have established de facto Turkish control over substantial northern Syrian territories where the Turkish lira serves as the recognized currency.

Third, the institutional dimension encompasses Turkey’s creation of operational infrastructure for regional intervention, including military bases in Qatar, Somalia, and Libya, alongside diplomatic and intelligence networks that facilitate coordination with aligned non-state actors. This infrastructure provides the logistical foundation for Turkey’s support of groups like Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which operate from Turkish territory with apparent governmental acquiescence.

The Hamas-PIJ Operational Infrastructure in Turkey

Turkish territory has emerged as a crucial operational hub for Palestinian resistance organizations, with Hamas establishing “one of its most important overseas centers” primarily operated by prisoners released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit exchange deal. This infrastructure encompasses multiple dimensions of organizational support that extend well beyond mere political hospitality.

Intelligence and operational planning constitute the most sensitive aspect of this relationship. Israeli security forces have documented Hamas’s establishment of a cyber and intelligence unit in Istanbul around 2018, managed by the Hamas military wing and headed by Samah Sarraj, who reported directly to then-Hamas leader Yahya al-Sinwar. The unit’s objectives included procurement of dual-use materials banned from Gaza entry and coordination of international operations against Israeli targets.

Financial operations represent another critical dimension, with Hamas utilizing Turkey to “raise and launder money in support of its terrorist operations, including the October 7, 2023, attack and massacre”. Turkish authorities have facilitated this through dedicated financial institutions and business networks, with many Hamas operatives establishing enterprises in Turkey’s real estate sector while obtaining Turkish citizenship or long-term residence permits.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad maintains a parallel presence in Turkey, with figures like Sami Al-Arian, a US-convicted PIJ operative, enjoying Turkish governmental protection and access to state media platforms. Al-Arian, deported from the United States following terrorism convictions, has been employed by Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, an institution overseen by Erdoğan’s son, while regularly appearing on state-run media outlets to promote anti-Israeli narratives and jihadist rhetoric.

The Deterioration of Turkish-Israeli Relations Post-October 7

The Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel marked a definitive rupture in Turkish-Israeli diplomatic relations, with Erdoğan characterizing Hamas operatives as “freedom fighters” while denouncing Israel’s military response as “genocide”. Turkey’s response to the conflict has encompassed multiple dimensions of confrontation that extend well beyond rhetorical criticism.

Economic warfare has emerged as a primary tool of Turkish pressure, with Ankara implementing a complete severance of trade ties with Israel on August 29, 2025, marking the first time Turkey has completely cut all commercial relations despite ongoing political tensions. This represents a fundamental departure from historical precedent, where economic ties typically survived diplomatic crises. Turkey has also restricted Israeli-owned vessels from docking at Turkish ports and completely closed Turkish airspace to Israeli aircraft as of August 2025.

Diplomatic isolation efforts have intensified through Turkey’s support for South Africa’s International Court of Justice case against Israel and Ankara’s call for Israel’s suspension from the UN General Assembly. Turkey has formally announced the complete severance of all diplomatic relations with Israel, with Erdoğan declaring in September 2025 that “Turkey has cut all ties with Israel as global pressure mounts over accusations of genocide”.

Legal and intelligence confrontations have escalated through Turkey’s detention of 33 individuals suspected of working for Israeli intelligence services in raids across eight provinces, conducted in response to reports that Israel intended to target Hamas members abroad. This represents a direct challenge to Israeli intelligence operations and signals Turkey’s willingness to protect Hamas operatives within its territory.

Qatar-Turkey Strategic Coordination and Regional Implications

The strategic partnership between Turkey and Qatar provides crucial context for understanding regional dynamics following recent tensions in Doha. Turkey maintains over 3,000 troops in Qatar with potential expansion to 5,000 personnel, alongside naval and air force deployments scheduled for future implementation. This military presence serves multiple strategic functions, including protection of Qatari sovereignty against potential Saudi-Emirati pressure and projection of Turkish influence across the Gulf region.

The Turkey-Qatar axis emerged during the 2017-2021 Qatar diplomatic crisis, when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain imposed a blockade on Qatar partly motivated by disagreement over regional policies, including Qatar’s hosting of Hamas leadership. Turkey’s military deployment to Qatar during this crisis demonstrated Ankara’s commitment to protecting aligned regional partners while simultaneously asserting Turkish strategic interests in the Gulf.

Following Israel’s September 2025 strike on Hamas negotiators in Doha, Turkey and Qatar have coordinated diplomatic responses that signal deepening strategic cooperation. Erdoğan’s immediate condemnation of the Israeli attack and pledge to coordinate “joint steps” with Qatar reflects the institutionalized nature of this partnership, which extends beyond immediate crisis management to encompass broader regional strategic planning.

This coordination has significant implications for regional balance of power dynamics, as it creates an alternative axis to the Saudi-Emirati-Israeli alignment that has emerged through the Abraham Accords process. The Turkey-Qatar partnership provides sustained support for Palestinian resistance organizations while simultaneously challenging the regional normalization process that Israel and its Gulf partners have pursued.

Regional Security Implications and Strategic Assessment

The intersection of Turkish neo-Ottoman ambitions, systematic support for Palestinian resistance organizations, and deteriorating relations with Israel creates multiple pathways for regional escalation. The documented Hamas operational infrastructure in Turkey suggests that Ankara’s territory may increasingly serve as a platform for planning and coordinating attacks against Israeli targets, transforming Turkey from a diplomatic critic into a potential operational adversary.

Syrian developments present a particularly volatile dimension of Turkish-Israeli competition. Turkey’s military control over northern Syrian territories, combined with reports that Turkey is “allowing Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to take up military positions in Syria,” creates potential for direct Turkish-Israeli confrontation. Israel’s established policy of preventing Iranian and proxy force entrenchment in Syria may increasingly bring Israeli forces into conflict with Turkish-supported Palestinian operatives.

The broader regional architecture also reflects Turkey’s systematic challenge to the Israeli-American strategic framework in the Middle East. Turkey’s hosting of Hamas leadership, financial support networks, and operational infrastructure represents a direct challenge to Israeli security interests while simultaneously undermining American efforts to isolate Palestinian resistance organizations. The recent Doha incident, where Israel struck Hamas negotiators in a US-allied capital, demonstrates the complex triangular tensions between Israeli security imperatives, American alliance management, and Turkish regional ambitions.

Contemporary Turkish-Israeli relations thus reflect a fundamental transformation from strategic partnership to strategic competition, driven by Erdoğan’s neo-Ottoman regional vision and Turkey’s systematic support for Palestinian resistance organizations. The recent assassination plot revelation represents not an isolated incident but rather a manifestation of deeper structural changes in regional geopolitics that position Turkey as a potential successor to Iran as Israel’s primary regional adversary. The trajectory of this relationship will significantly influence broader Middle Eastern stability, alliance structures, and the prospects for regional conflict resolution, particularly as Turkey’s neo-Ottoman ambitions continue to expand across former Ottoman territories while Israel maintains its strategic imperative to prevent the emergence of hostile operational infrastructure on its periphery.

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The Liberty Values & Strategy Foundation: A Legacy Reborn

June 11, 2025 – 249 years ago, on this very date, history pivoted on the axis of human possibility.

June 11, 1776. The Continental Congress, meeting in the hallowed chambers of Independence Hall, appointed five extraordinary visionaries to a committee that would forever alter the trajectory of human civilization. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston—men of profound intellect and unwavering conviction—were entrusted with the sacred task of drafting the Declaration of Independence. In that momentous decision, they established not merely a political document, but a philosophical foundation upon which the principles of liberty, self-governance, and human dignity would rest for generations yet unborn.

Today, We Stand at Another Threshold

On June 11, 2025—exactly 249 years later—the Liberty Values & Strategy Foundation emerges to carry forward the luminous torch of those founding principles into the complexities of our modern age. Just as Jefferson and his fellow committee members understood that true independence required both visionary thinking and strategic action, the Liberty Values & Strategy Foundation recognizes that preserving and advancing liberty in the 21st century demands sophisticated analysis, bold leadership, and unwavering commitment to the fundamental values that define human flourishing.

A Foundation Built on Timeless Principles

The parallels between then and now are profound:

  • Then, Five visionary leaders gathered to articulate the philosophical foundations of a new nation. Now, A new foundation emerges to advance strategic thinking on liberty’s most pressing challenges
  • Then, The Committee of Five understood that ideas must be coupled with practical wisdom. Now, The Liberty Values & Strategy Foundation bridges timeless principles with contemporary strategic insight
  • Then, They recognized that liberty requires constant vigilance and thoughtful stewardship. Now, We commit to that same vigilance in an increasingly complex world

In the shadow of Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, where the Mursi people etch resilience into their skin through lip plates and the Hamar tribe’s bull-jumping rites forge indomitable courage, a new chapter in the global fight for liberty begins. The Liberty Values & Strategy Foundation (LVS Foundation) launches today as a vanguard of 21st-century research, merging scholarly rigor with actionable strategy through its revolutionary Cohesive Research Ecosystem (CORE). Founded by Dr. Fundji Benedict—a scholar whose lineage intertwines Afrikaner grit, Ethiopian sovereignty, and Jewish perseverance—this institution embodies a legacy of defiance inherited from history’s most audacious truth-seekers, from Zora Neale Hurston to the warrior women of Ethiopia. This duality—scholarship as sword and shield—mirrors Dr. Benedict’s own journey. For 10+ years, she navigated bureaucratic inertia and geopolitical minefields, her resolve hardened by the Ethiopian women warriors who once defied Italian fascism.

 

 

I. The Hurston Imperative: Truth as a Weapon

Zora Neale Hurston, the Harlem Renaissance icon who “broke through racial barriers” and declared, “Truth is a letter from courage,” is the Foundation’s spiritual lodestar. Like Hurston, who documented Black life under Jim Crow with unflinching authenticity, the LVS Foundation wields research as both shield and scalpel. BRAVE, its human rights arm, intervenes in crises with the precision Hurston brought to folklore studies, transforming marginalized voices into policy. When Somali warlords displace the Gabra people or Ethiopian officials seize tribal lands, BRAVE acts with the urgency of Hurston’s anthropological missions, ensuring that “truth-telling becomes liberation”.

Dr. Benedict’s decade-long journey mirrors Hurston’s defiance. “My ancestors did not bow. I will not bow,” she asserts, her cadence echoing the Omo Valley’s ceremonial chants. This ethos permeates the Foundation’s CORE model, where BRAVE, COMPASS, and STRIDE operate in symphonic unity. “CORE is our answer to siloed thinking,” Dr. Benedict explains. “Through this cohesive ecosystem, BRAVE, COMPASS, and STRIDE work in concert—breaking down

barriers between academic research, fieldwork, and strategic action. This enables us to develop innovative solutions and stride toward lasting change”.

 

II. Necropolitics and the Battle for Human Dignity

The Foundation’s research agenda confronts necropolitics—a term coined by Achille Mbembe to describe regimes that decide “who may live and who must die”. In Somalia, where Al-Shabaab turns villages into killing fields, and South Africa, where post-apartheid politics increasingly marginalize minorities, the LVS Foundation exposes systemic dehumanization. STRIDE, now correctly positioned as the bulwark against terrorism and antisemitism, dismantles networks fueled by Qatari financing and ideological venom. COMPASS, the geopolitical hub, maps Qatar’s $6 billion influence campaigns, revealing how Doha’s alliances with Islamist groups destabilize democracies from Sahel to Paris, France.

“Qatar hides behind diplomatic immunity while funding mass murder,” Dr. Benedict states, citing Israeli intelligence linking Qatari funds to Hamas’s October 7 massacre. Meanwhile, BRAVE echoes fieldwork in Ethiopia’s Babille Elephant Sanctuary—where Dr. Benedict has studied bee barriers to resolve human-wildlife conflict—and epitomizes the Foundation’s ethos: “We turned conflict into cooperation, just as our ancestors turned adversity into art”.

 

III. The Ethiopian Woman Warrior: A Blueprint for Ferocity

The Foundation’s DNA is steeped in the legacy of Ethiopian women who weaponized intellect and audacity. Woizero Shewareged Gedle, who orchestrated prison breaks and ammunition heist during Italy’s occupation, finds her echo in STRIDE’s Intelligence operations. She struck an Italian officer mid-interrogation and declared, “You may imprison me, but you will not insult me”. Her defiance lives in STRIDE’s intelligence operations and BRAVE’s land-rights advocacy for all minorities like the Hamar, who endure ritual whipping to cement bonds of loyalty – a fight as visceral as it is cerebral -, but also the tribes or the Afrikaners in South Africa who face expropriation of their property without compensation. Dr. Benedict’s leadership rejects the false binary between academia and activism: “Research is not abstraction—it is alchemy. We transmute data into justice”.

 

IV. Conclusion: Lighting the Torch for Generations

The Liberty Values & Strategy Foundation stands as more than an institution—it is a living testament to the unyielding spirit of those who refuse to let darkness prevail. In a world where necropolitics reduces human lives to chess pieces and terrorism metastasizes in the shadows, the Foundation’s CORE research ecosystem illuminates a different path: one where rigorous scholarship becomes the catalyst for liberation. Every report published, every policy advocated, and every community defended is a reaffirmation of democracy’s most sacred tenet—that every life holds irreducible value.

Dr. Benedict’s vision transcends academic abstraction: BRAVE’s defense of pastoralist communities, COMPASS’s geopolitical cartography, and STRIDE’s dismantling of hate networks are not isolated acts but threads in a tapestry woven with the same audacity that Zora Neale Hurston brought to anthropology and Woizero Shewareged Gedle to resistance. The Foundation’s decade-long gestation mirrors the patience of Ethiopian honey hunters who wait years for the perfect hive—a reminder that enduring change demands both urgency and perseverance.

As a beacon for liberty, the LVS Foundation invites collaboration across borders and disciplines. To governments grappling with Qatar’s influence campaigns, to activists documenting human rights abuses, to citizens weary of complacency, the Foundation offers not just data but a blueprint for courage and defiance. Its research ecosystem—dynamic, interconnected, and unapologetically action-oriented—proves that knowledge, when wielded with integrity, can dismantle even the most entrenched systems of oppression.

 

The Torch Burns Bright

Over the past decade, Dr Benedict has combined rigorous academic work with on-the-ground engagement, building the knowledge and networks required to create this institution. Now, as the Foundation opens its doors, it stands as a testament to principled scholarship and action. In the legacy of Zora Neale Hurston’s fearless truth-telling, the LVS Foundation embraces the

power of knowledge guided by values. Crucially, the LVS Foundation maintains strict independence from any partisan or governmental funding. This non-partisanship is a cornerstone of its identity. “From day one, we refuse to be anyone’s instrument – no government, no party. Our independence guarantees that our voice remains unbiased and our research uncompromised,” Dr. Benedict emphasizes. “We owe that to the truth we seek. Hurston taught us about authenticity and courage; in that spirit, we will not pander or censor ourselves. We will ask the hard questions and pursue answers – wherever they lead – in service of liberty and human dignity.”

The revolution Dr. Benedict ignited is not hers alone. It belongs to every individual who dares to believe that democracy can be defended, that integrity can be restored, and that liberty is worth every sacrifice. Zora Neale Hurston once wrote, “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” For the LVS Foundation, this is the year of answers and a responsibility to honor Hurston’s legacy by ensuring truth is not just spoken but lived. Those seeking to support Liberty Values & Strategy Foundation—through funding, fieldwork, or amplification—are welcomed at [email protected] or [email protected].