14- Between Turkey and Iran: The Conflict of Regional Expansion on the Arab Map

Between Turkey and Iran: The Conflict of Regional Expansion on the Arab Map

**Why do they fight over us? And when will we have the right to have our own goals, just as they have theirs?**

The Arab land has been transformed into an open arena for settling scores and extending influence. Iran has unleashed its proxies under the guise of "defending the faith," directed by Iranian intelligence that has tightened its grip on Iraq's security apparatus. Today, we face a clash between two projects, each with deep historical roots and clear expansionist ambitions: **Iran pursues its "Persian Empire" project**, seeking hegemony, while **Turkey pursues its "Ottoman Caliphate" project**, aiming to restore ancient influence. Both utilize Arab territory as the stage for this expansion.

### 1. Managing "Opposing Poles": The Double Intelligence Game

Iran did not stop at mobilizing its "loyalist" (Wilayi) arms; it practiced a far more dangerous intelligence game. It manages discord through two wings: the militias loyal to the *Wali al-Faqih*, and another wing it established and supported—**Al-Qaeda**. It directs them to strike at the time and place that serves its interests. Since it was difficult for the *Wali al-Faqih* militias to operate in Saudi Arabia, "Al-Qaeda terrorism" was unleashed to target the Ministry of Interior and its personnel to sow fear, while loyalist militias were directed to destabilize Bahrain's security through sabotage and protests.

### 2. The New Ottoman Project: The Parallel Rise (1983)

On the other hand, Turkey did not stand idly by. In 1983, an Islamic party was founded led by Necmettin Erbakan, seeking to revive the glory of the "Ottoman State." Since then, "secret wars" have flared between the Iranian and Turkish projects for control over Arab decision-making. Each side seeks to infiltrate sovereign centers, get closer to decision-makers, and control the economy due to its strategic importance for their future influence.

### 3. "Loyalism" vs. "The Brotherhood": Different Tactics, One Goal

While the Iranian (loyalist) project relies on emotional mobilization, religious pulpits, and recruitment through "Mullahs" and direct confrontation, the Turkish (Brotherhood) project takes a quieter and more dangerous path: economic control over banks and companies that touch the daily lives of citizens to gain trust. This is synchronized with exploiting mosques and religious circles to recruit teenagers and create cadres loyal to the centrality of the foreign "leadership state."

### 4. Pillars of Confrontation: Religion, Nation, and Leadership

As I have documented previously, the targeting is not random; it strikes at three pillars that deserve to be defended with all our strength:

1. **Your Religion:** (Islam and the Prophet), which they attempt to hijack and distort with their ideologies.

2. **Your Nation:** (Your land and your sky), whose sovereignty they seek to tear apart.

3. **Your Leadership:** (The Royal Family), which represents the safety valve for the unity and stability of society.

Social media is a dangerous weapon of war that the enemy excels at using. Words penetrate the mind and heart before a bullet penetrates the body, and they are capable of changing what conventional weapons cannot—unless we confront them with a unified Arab project that possesses both vision and purpose.

*A post I shared back in March 2017, warning of the Iranian and Turkish expansionist projects."*