![Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gather to celebrate as Erdogan leads Turkiye's presidential runoff election in Tripoli, Lebanon on May 28, 2023. [Ahmad Said - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/AA-20230528-31268532-31268510-ERDOGAN_SUPPORTERS_CELEBRATE_AFTER_TURKIYES_PRESIDENTIAL_RUNOFF_ELECTION-500x333.jpg)
With Iran’s “Land Bridge” fractured by the new Syrian leadership, Türkiye is not merely seeking influence; it is seeking to fill the strategic vacuum and secure its Blue Homeland (Mavi Vatan) doctrine. Ankara views Lebanon as the final “missing piece” in the Eastern Mediterranean energy map. With its declared ambition to be a significant regional energy player not only with Central Asian countries but also in the Eastern Mediterranean, Ankara rejected the 26 November Lebanese-Cyprus agreement signed by Presidents Aoun and Christodoulides, arguing that any deal without Turkish Cypriots creates “a maritime wall” that locks Türkiye out of the Southern Mediterranean. Türkiye’s evolving strategy in Lebanon reflects a broader recalibration of its regional posture, one that extends far beyond its […]
