Turkey uses a 500-year-old empire to lead the Muslim world
By positioning itself as the successor to the Ottoman sultans, Turkey has transformed a 2010 maritime tragedy into a multi-million dollar diplomatic bridgehead in the Middle East.
When Jerusalem fell to the Ottomans in 1517, it began a five-century legacy that Turkey's leadership now uses to claim a unique role as the 'protector of the faithful.' This historical narrative turned into modern policy after the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, where a clash between activists and the Israeli military killed ten people. Since then, Turkey has leveraged its imperial past to justify hosting high-level political offices for groups like Hamas, providing a diplomatic alternative to the more aggressive military funding provided by Iran.