In the wake of Turkish-Israeli rivalry, the reactions to the “Kushner tourist resort”?

In the wake of Turkish-Israeli rivalry, the reactions to the “Kushner tourist resort”?

In the wake of #Turkish-Israeli rivalry, reactions to the “Kushner tourist resort” Translation by Grok In the aftermath of the Turkish-Israeli competition in the #Balkans, reactions are growing over the “tourist resort” project associated with #Kushner. Following the successful regime change in #Syria (from the Assad regime to today’s Islamist and ethno-sectarian chaos), the Turkish-Israeli rivalry has surfaced. The truth is that it had been simmering beneath the surface for some time, appearing only in “isolated incidents” that concealed the bigger picture. #Israel and #Turkey are competing for regional hegemony in the Middle East. The regime change in Syria has, for the first time, created points of direct contact between Turkish and Israeli armed forces.The Turkish-Israeli rivalry in the Balkans is an extension of their broader geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. The two regional powers are fighting for economic influence, control of energy routes, and alliances by exerting influence over the political elites of target states, while following diametrically opposed strategies. Turkey’s “special relationship” with the fundamentalist Islamic regime of #Jolani and the Turkish army, on the one hand, and on the other, the Israeli army’s invasion and de facto Israeli occupation of Syrian territories with Druze populations near the Golan Heights, Israel’s support for the Syrian Kurds in northeastern Syria, and Israeli airstrikes across Syria — all constitute potential triggers for “hot” incidents that could test a possible Turkey-Israel clash. For now, of course, each side fears the other, and both are probing each other’s limits.The anti-Israel rhetoric of the AKP, #Erdogan’s Turkey (even though the same zeal is not evident in trade relations) and statements by Israelis who portray Turkey as Israel’s new enemy — presenting a clash with Turkey as inevitable after the final defeat of #Iran (which has not yet occurred) — are creating a Cold War-style atmosphere between them. NATO-member Turkey’s reluctance to “back” the American-Israeli attack against Iran is yet another manifestation of the two rivals’ completely different readings of the region. On the contrary, Turkey is acting rather as a stabilizing force for Iran within the Iran vs. US/Israel conflict, by controlling the Kurdish factor so that it does not create an internal front against the Iranian regime, as well as through “brotherly” Azerbaijan (within the Turkish world), which is under significant Israeli influence.

In the Gulf monarchies, Turkey is also exploiting the current situation to increase its influence, not only in Qatar but now directly in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, etc., presenting itself as a reliable, industrial Islamic country with a developed defense industry and military capabilities that can fill security gaps left by the United States in the region.However, the Turkish-Israeli regional rivalry is not limited to the Middle East; it is also being transferred to the Eastern Mediterranean, the #Balkans, the #Aegean, the #Caucasus, and East Africa.In the Eastern Mediterranean, the spearhead is control over energy sources and trade routes (maritime or land). Pipelines like TAP that ideally bypass #Greece and head through Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and #Albania toward Europe (as Turkey wants), or solutions via the Eastern Mediterranean such as the EastMed pipeline or maritime transport, which Israel is pursuing.In the Caucasus, the main field of competition is influence over Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Turkish-Israeli rivalry in the Balkans is an extension of their broader geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. The two powers are fighting for economic influence, control of energy routes, alliances, and political control of Balkan states, following diametrically opposed strategies.Israel, through the cultivation of the Israel-Greece-Cyprus “axis,” is building a strong military and energy alliance with Greece and Cyprus. In Greece and Cyprus, the number of politicians with a pro-Israel outlook is multiplying, especially in the governments of both countries (e.g., Georgiadis, Dendias). At the same time, Israel and the Jewish diaspora possess the ultimate weapon of powerful economic and political figures of Israeli origin or under the influence of the Israeli lobby. Turkey, by contrast, exploits its historical footprint and ties with Muslim populations (e.g., in #Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and #Kosovo). It uses religious, cultural, and construction networks, as well as the necessary goods, commodities, or weapons systems that countries in the region need, in order to create relations of dependence.

Turkish influence in Albania is very strong. Turkey exerts systematic, multi-level influence in Albania, based on historical ties, economic penetration, close personal relationships with the leadership (specifically the close alliance between Albanian Prime Minister Edi #Rama and Recep Tayyip #Erdogan), military cooperation, intelligence service collaboration in various operations, and even the protection of networks in the country and in Europe (for legal or illegal profitable activities). It should be noted that control of the extremely lucrative drug trade with Italy (toward Europe) and the trafficking of #narcotics across the European continent has both economic and political dimensions. Through the Turkish state agency TIKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency), Ankara has funded the renovation of Ottoman-era Islamic monuments and the construction of large mosques. The Turkish Maarif Foundation also manages educational institutions (from primary school to university) in the country. Other #Sufi-oriented foundations are also active. With the dominance of Kemalism in Turkey, powerful Sufi orders and their teachers found refuge in the Balkans, especially in Albania and Tetovo (which at the time was not under communist rule).

For example, the creation of an independent mini-state for the Bektashi order in Tirana has been proposed in Albania — a plan inspired by the Vatican model. The #Bektashis (Bektashi Tariqa) moved their headquarters to Albania from Turkey in 1929 after they were outlawed by Kemal #Atatürk’s regime. With the political rise of Turkish Islamists in Turkey (#AKP – Erdogan), the Sufi tradition in Albania (mainly), #Tetovo, Kosovo, #Čačak, and Bosnia constitutes a very strong and deep cultural dimension of Turkey’s political, social, and cultural influence. It is now becoming visible that the crisis in the Middle East has intensified the confrontation between the two countries, with the #Balkans remaining a critical chessboard where the regional power and limits of influence of the two states are being tested. The Balkans are, of course, a privileged space for Turkey. Therefore, they are ideal for Israel’s policy of containing Turkish influence and balancing the pressures Israel faces elsewhere (e.g., Syria, East #Africa, etc.). Characteristically, in recent days a drama has been unfolding around a particularly strange investment and the resistance to it.Specifically, Albanian Prime Minister #Rama had approved the creation of a huge tourist resort in a geographically extensive area — the Vlora/Sazan (Saseno) region — in an investment scheme linked to interests of the family of the American President Trump and his Jewish-origin son-in-law Kushner. However, in Albania — the stronghold of extreme pro-Americanism — extensive protests and incidents have erupted in recent days against this coastal resort, a $4 billion investment with ties to the Kushner-Trump family.Protests have suddenly intensified against the construction of the resort in protected wetlands, with recent clashes and demonstrations fueled in part by #Ivanka Trump’s comments on her podcast about the “discovery” of the island. At the same time, deepening the mystery of the “resistance” to the project, Albanian authorities froze the assets of a company linked to the $4 billion coastal resort project connected to the Kushners (near the Vlora/Sazan area) amid a fraud investigation — raising “reasonable questions” about this Albanian display of resistance and “independence” from their benefactor, the #USA (Kosovo, aspirations for Greater Albania, etc.).

On the strategically located #Sazan (Saseno) island, which was bought by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of the American President Trump, “many” in Turkey fear that the “tourist resort” will serve as an “advanced” US/Israel base in the region. The island’s position is geopolitically sensitive (control of the entrance to the #Adriatic, near #Italy/Greece). The island had been under Italian sovereignty since 1920 and hosted an Italian military base from 1939 until the end of World War II. It was also a military zone during the Soviet/Hoxha era (a former Soviet/Albanian military base following a USSR-Albania agreement, with numerous #bunkers and #tunnels). It should be noted — briefly — regarding the island’s history, that in 1864 Sazan island, along with the other Ionian Islands, as one of the so-called Diapontian Islands, was ceded to Greece. Greece maintained a military detachment on the island from 1912 to 1914, after which it ceded it to Albania — following Italian and Austro-Hungarian pressure — by Greek law. Let us not forget that 1) it was and remains a barren island, and 2) at that time the concept of the EEZ was not well known (which further increases the island’s geopolitical value today).Today, Sazan (Saseno) island is a demilitarized area and is used for operations to “restrict” the extremely profitable drug trade with Italy.It is clear that there are reasons why this investment is not “politically desirable” for Turkey.Turkey obviously has other plans for the region… Whoever controls the island, or even more so maintains a naval base on it, controls the entrance to the Adriatic, slightly north of the other Diapontian islands under Greek sovereignty and Corfu!The Turkish factor has the influence, penetration, and will to prevent this geopolitically undesirable investment in Albania. Turkey, a NATO country, has studied and knows how to use “ecological and environmental issues,” “terrorism,” human rights, etc., for geo-economic and geopolitical reasons. The protection of… flamingos and the “unparalleled and pristine beauty of the area” proves that the students have surpassed their teachers?All of the above make both the choice of location for the “investment” and the “resistance” to it at least… suspicious! Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, visibly irritated, now finds himself facing a situation he cannot control but must handle very carefully, because he understands the political danger of the situation.In Greece, some speak of the Albanians’ dignity in resisting, others about “protecting” the economic rights and properties of the Greek national minority, while others present the protests superficially. Once again, after its disastrous involvement in the US-USSR Cold War that pinned the country into underdevelopment and capitalist periphery status, it now finds itself in the middle of the vortex of Turkish-Israeli regional rivalry. Will the Greek political scene change (& in the wake of this regional rivalry?) and once again we won’t have understood anything… #Pantis Dionysis Pantis, Lawyer at the Areios Pagos and Geopolitical Analyst (Dionysis Pantis is a lawyer at the Areios Pagos with twenty years of experience in litigation and consulting law. He is a graduate of the Law School of the Democritus University of Thrace, holds a degree from the Department of Public Administration at Panteion University (direction of Public Law), and has postgraduate studies in European & International Commercial Law and Public International Law.)