The Israeli embassy in Ankara has been closed and gathering dust since October 7, while the consulate in Istanbul opens only rarely, when two brave diplomats risk their lives and go there for a few days each month.

The Turks, on the other hand—take note—have no fewer than 50 diplomats here: 30 in Tel Aviv and 20 in Jerusalem. They’re not cultivating ties with Israel—they’re working to undermine it from within. When Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran some 15 months ago, the Turkish flag at the embassy in Tel Aviv was lowered to half-mast in mourning.

The ayatollah regime in Tehran has not yet fallen, but one can already see on the horizon the prophecy of the legendary Middle East scholar Bernard Lewis—that Iran would become Turkey, and Turkey would become Iran. 37 percent of Turks see Israel as an existential threat. Last year, Israel was added to the famous “Red Book,” Turkey’s national security threat list.