This is how Erdogan exploits the situation - and seeks a foothold in Lebanon as well
The dismantling of UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force, leaves a vacuum in southern Lebanon, which the Turkish president wants to fill. 'Ankara wants to support regional security,' he claimed in a joint statement alongside the…
Assessment
Turkey is seizing on the dismantling of the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon to project influence into a new theater. President Erdogan's offer to fill the security vacuum, paired with a joint statement from Lebanon's president, signals Ankara's ambition to become a regional power broker beyond its usual Syrian and Palestinian focus. The critical question is whether Lebanon's fragile state institutions can manage this Turkish overture without triggering rivalries with other external actors.