Fernandez argued that Turkey increasingly acts as both a “fireman and an arsonist” within NATO—formally allied with the West while at times deliberately undermining Western interests to advance its own strategic goals. He said Ankara’s close strategic alignment with Pakistan is central to this approach, noting that Turkey’s advanced drone capabilities complement Pakistan’s air force and nuclear deterrent, and that both countries view India as a shared religious and geopolitical adversary.

According to Fernandez, Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine and assertive posture over offshore energy resources reflect an openly stated ambition to dominate the eastern Mediterranean politically and militarily. He added that Ankara’s activities in Sudan and Somalia further illustrate this expansive vision, which he traced to the ideological legacy of Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II.

Fernandez concluded that these policies reveal a coherent strategic aim: to extend Turkey’s influence across a vast arc—from North Africa through the Middle East and toward the Indian subcontinent—reviving an Ottoman-inspired sphere of power adapted to modern geopolitics.