When instability spreads across multiple regions simultaneously, the countries positioned between those regions gain strategic weight.
Turkey has occupied that crossroads for centuries.
What the Iran war has done is remind the rest of the world that the gatekeeper often becomes most powerful when everyone else is looking somewhere else.
Bibliography
1. European Council. EU-Turkey Statement on Migration. March 18, 2016. Agreement establishing financial assistance and cooperation to manage refugee flows from Turkey to the European Union.
2. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Trends in International Arms Transfers 2025. Data identifying Turkey as one of the fastest-growing global arms exporters.
3. Human Rights Watch. “Türkiye: Leading Opponent of Erdoğan on Trial.” March 2026. Analysis of the prosecution of Istanbul politician Ekrem İmamoğlu and its implications for democratic governance.