Turkish Ambassador: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran Are the Bulwark Against 'Greater Israel'

Turkish Ambassador to Indonesia, Prof. Talip Küçükcan, has warned of the dangerous Zionist ambition to establish a ‘Greater Israel’ in the Middle East. He stated that major regional powers such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran currently serve as a barrier to this ambition.

In an exclusive interview with Republika in Jakarta on Monday (23/6/2026), he asserted that the current escalation in the Middle East cannot be separated from this Israeli intention. “What we are seeing now is a continuation of old conflicts. However, Israel is now far more aggressive. They are attacking Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, and attempting to become the dominant power in the region,” Küçükcan said.

He stressed that Israel’s actions are inseparable from the ‘Greater Israel’ idea, which is voiced by some Israeli hardline intellectuals and politicians. “This idea is very worrying for countries in the region because it encompasses territories claimed beyond Israel’s current borders,” he stated.

Despite this, he assessed that the Middle East still possesses several strong countries capable of maintaining regional balance. “Nevertheless, this region also has strong countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.” It is worth noting that these three nations are not only the most populous and geographically largest in the region, but they also represent three historical centres of Islamic civilisation and possess significant military strength.

According to Küçükcan, the evolving conflict dynamics have actually sparked a new awareness among Muslim nations to strengthen regional cooperation. “For the first time, we are seeing closer cooperation between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan. This is a positive development because countries in the region are realising they need to rely on their own strength and regional cooperation,” he said.

The term ‘Greater Israel’ is often understood merely as a project of territorial expansion through occupation and settlement construction on Palestinian land. However, according to Torah expert Mazin al-Najjar, in his work ‘Hadzihi Hiya Israil Kubra al-Lati Yuriduha Netanyahu’ as cited by Aljazeera, the concept is far larger and more dangerous than mere geographical expansion.