What are the Sources of Tension Between Turks and Arabs?

A Question That Haunts Me: Who Else Doesn’t Want Turks in the Arab World?

I am aware that the majority of my readers are Arab, and I want to address a topic that has long preoccupied me. I present this with honesty and a spirit of brotherhood to my Arab readers. My aim is a sincere attempt at understanding, free from preconceived judgments.

Currently, Israel is investing significant effort to block Turkey’s participation in the “International Stability Force” being planned for deployment in Gaza. Meanwhile, Turkey is striving to convince the United States—arguing it’s part of the “Trump Agreement”—of the necessity for Turkish soldiers to be part of this force.

The matter remains unresolved.

Amid these high-stakes discussions, I felt compelled to share a recurring theme I’ve encountered in the region over the years. The moment I pose the question in this way, you will immediately grasp its sensitivity: Who else doesn’t want the Turks in the region?

Unexpected Questions in Arab Capitals

The best way to explain this is to walk you through my own experiences.

In 2012, we at Anadolu Agency, the official news agency of the Turkish state, launched our Arabic-language broadcast. As the agency’s director at the time, I planned a series of visits to Arab nations to promote our new Arabic services and recruit subscribers. This was in early 2013. My itinerary spanned from Morocco to Lebanon, involving meetings with local media outlets to present our offerings.

We began as planned in Morocco. At the end of my presentation, I opened the floor for questions. A young journalist asked: “Why are you starting Arabic broadcasts now, in the midst of the Arab Spring? Are you trying to revive a ‘Neo-Ottoman’ ambition? You are an official state agency—how can we trust you to report the truth?”

The question took me aback, but I responded calmly. I explained that we were not pursuing any Neo-Ottoman dreams and that, like other global agencies such as Reuters, AFP, and AP, we needed to expand our regional presence to be influential, hence the Arabic service. I added that we also broadcast in English, French, Russian, Bosnian, and Kurdish, and that every state has its official agency; we would strive to match them in credibility.

Later, during an interview on a private Moroccan channel, I was confronted with the same question and gave the same answers.

We then moved to Tunisia, where we held a similar event. Surprisingly, the identical question was posed to me again by Tunisian journalists. My surprise grew. A Tunisian editor on my staff later told me, “These journalists were trained in France within the AFP network and operate according to its school of thought. We call them the ‘AFP disciples.'”

In reality, Anadolu Agency was pursuing a policy of active expansion in Africa and the Middle East, and AFP was our biggest competitor in the region. It’s possible those asking the questions were aligned with them. Yet, I continued to face the same skeptical inquiries in Algeria, Egypt, and Lebanon.

I began to ask the journalists about their professional background. As soon as I confirmed they were from the “AFP school,” I would counter: “AFP began its Arabic broadcast in 1969. Have you ever asked them, since then, if France is seeking to re-colonize us? Why do they broadcast to Arabs in Arabic? Have you ever dared to ask a French state agency if it can publish news against the French state?” I never received an answer, because none of them had ever dared to pose these questions to AFP.

A Startling Double Standard

What truly astonished me was not merely that AFP or Reuters might be instigating such questions—that’s natural competition—but that the Arab journalists asking them saw nothing suspicious in the work of French or American agencies in their own countries, while viewing Turkey’s efforts as inherently dubious.

At the time, the term “Neo-Ottomanism” was being thrown around constantly. But why weren’t France—which occupied nations like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia—or Italy in Libya, Britain in Egypt, or America in Lebanon, being viewed with the same lens of suspicion?

Did anyone ever question the motives of the BBC, AFP, Reuters, or AP, which have been broadcasting in Arabic for over half a century?

The absence of this critical inquiry is what both shocked and saddened me. Turkey shares a 400-year historical relationship with most of the region. Is it a colonial power? Or is it a brotherly nation that shares religious bonds with the Arab world?

I know this is a deep and contentious subject, so I will not dwell on it. But I am convinced that those who oppose a Turkish presence in the region are often under the powerful sway of Western propaganda. They are the same voices that oppose Arab-Turkish rapprochement, while displaying no similar caution towards the influence of Western nations.

Friendly Populations, Opposing Elites

We opened Anadolu Agency offices in 22 Arab countries. The majority of our staff in these offices were local citizens. I must commend the dedication of our Arab colleagues, who worked with utmost devotion, treating the agency as their own. We believed Anadolu Agency was a shared platform for all Muslims, and it was our duty to compete with Western agencies.

In every country where we opened an office, we were met with immense warmth from the general public. They saw us as brothers and assisted us in every way. We treated them as we would our Turkish kin, without any discrimination. However, in countries with more authoritarian regimes, more nationalist elites, or where individuals had received a Western education, we continued to face the same skeptical questions and encountered obstacles.

The Imperative for a New Beginning

Our region has become a powder keg. Six brotherly nations have been attacked by Israel, parts of three countries are occupied, and this aggression shows no sign of stopping.

Don’t you think that in such circumstances, we are in desperate need of each other?

Should we not stand in solidarity to halt the US-backed Israeli advance in the region? Otherwise, we will all be targeted in turn.

Yet, despite this stark reality, there are those who object to the presence of the Turkish military in Syria, or Gaza, or Libya. And sadly, these objectors are often from among our Muslim brothers.

But they do not voice the same objections to the presence of Italians in Libya, Russians in Syria, or Americans in Gaza.

It is natural for every nation to pursue its interests. But tell me: which country is more harmed by the presence of the Turkish army in Gaza or Syria? And who benefits from Turkey’s absence? Israel is screaming and complaining—and that alone should tell us the answer.

We cannot change history. Yes, painful events have occurred for all of us. But today we are living through a geopolitical earthquake that is redrawing maps. Israel has turned our lands into a living hell and will not hesitate to burn everyone. If we want this transformation to ultimately benefit the Muslim world, we must start anew.

Our people love one another. The time has come for our nations, our elites, our media, our business leaders, and our intellectuals to not just understand each other, but to foster genuine affection and solidarity.

The reality is clear: We all need each other. We will not withstand these challenges any other way.

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