Turkey’s NATO role under scrutiny amid new report on Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood ties

FIRST ON FOX: A caller study is raising concerns astir Turkey’s role successful nan Middle East, arguing that nether President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, nan state has moved distant from its accepted Western alignment and toward deeper engagement pinch Islamist movements, including nan Muslim Brotherhood.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies report, led by elder chap Sinan Ciddi and titled "Islamist Domination of Turkey: A Forward Base for Muslim Brotherhood-Aligned Jihadism," argues that Turkey has ties to Hamas — nan U.S.-designated violent group responsible for nan Oct. 7 massacre — arsenic good arsenic to nan Muslim Brotherhood — an Islamist activity whose affiliates person precocious been designated arsenic violent organizations by nan United States — placing Turkey’s policies nether renewed scrutiny arsenic it prepares to big a NATO summit.

Ciddi told Fox News Digital nan displacement reflects a broader translator successful really Turkey defines threats.

"What we person is Turkey has wholly rewritten nan rules of really you construe what a jihadist violent entity whitethorn be," Ciddi said. "Erdoğan has reinvented what is interpreted arsenic a violent entity … groups specified arsenic Hamas aliases al-Nusra autumn into statement pinch his pan-Islamist position of nan world."

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and past president of Hamas Khaled Mashal (L) shingle hands astatine nan Historical Mabeyn Palace successful Istanbul, Turkey connected June 24, 2016. (Kayhan Ozer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Hamas beingness draws scrutiny

A cardinal attraction of nan study is Turkey’s narration pinch Hamas, which nan United States designates arsenic a violent organization, and yet Hamas expanded its beingness successful Turkey aft 2011, establishing offices and networks wrong nan country.

"From 2011 onward … Hamas utilized this opportunity wrong of Turkey pinch a friends authorities to found offices, prosecute successful recruitment (and) fundraising," Ciddi said.

U.S. authorities person taken action against immoderate of those networks. The Treasury Department has designated Hamas-linked individuals and entities operating successful Turkey, a constituent Ciddi said underscores longstanding concerns.

"The United States Treasury has been search and designating Hamas-affiliated NGOs and individuals wrong of Turkey," he said.

The study besides alleges that immoderate Hamas operatives person been capable to recreation utilizing Turkish-issued documents and that elder figures person been publically received by Erdoğan.

Beyond Hamas, nan study describes Turkey arsenic a hub for Muslim Brotherhood figures from crossed nan region, including Egypt and Yemen, galore of whom relocated location pursuing crackdowns successful their location countries.

Across parts of nan Arab world, nan Muslim Brotherhood has been banned aliases restricted for years. 

Egypt outlawed nan activity successful 2013, accusing it of inciting unrest and undermining authorities institutions. Saudi Arabia and nan United Arab Emirates later designated it a violent organization, describing it arsenic a threat to nationalist stability, while Bahrain adopted a akin stance. 

Jordan dissolved its section section this twelvemonth pursuing arrests authorities said were linked to illicit weapons activity.

Some European countries besides person taken steps targeting networks linked to nan movement. 

Austria, for example, has pursued ineligible action against individuals and organizations it says are connected to Brotherhood-linked activity arsenic portion of its counter-extremism policies.

Officials successful these countries person based on that nan Brotherhood operates done a operation of belief outreach, governmental activism, charitable organizations and media platforms to power nationalist sentiment and situation authorities authority.

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People protestation successful support of Palestinians successful Gaza during a protestation rally successful Istanbul, Turkey, connected Feb. 17, 2024, amid nan ongoing warfare betwixt Israel and Hamas. (Khalil Hamra/The Associated Press )

Syria argumentation and sanctions questions

The study besides examines Turkey’s domiciled successful Syria, wherever nan state backed guidance forces during nan civilian war, supporting a scope of equipped factions, including groups that later formed nan Syrian National Army.

"The Syrian National Army … was a hodgepodge postulation of militias that Turkey straight armed, paid and organized," he said.

The study links Turkish support to groups specified arsenic al-Nusra and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, raising questions among analysts astir whether specified ties could expose Turkish officials to imaginable sanctions nether U.S. law.

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U.S. President Donald Trump (R) delivers remarks during a gathering pinch President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan successful nan Oval Office astatine nan White House connected Sept. 25, 2025 successful Washington, DC.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

A balancing enactment pinch Washington

Despite these concerns, different analysts opportunity Turkey’s narration pinch nan United States continues to enactment arsenic a constraint connected its behavior, while nan narration betwixt Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been characterized by renewed trust, pinch Trump praising Erdoğan's domiciled successful Gaza diplomacy.

As Trump celebrated nan Gaza ceasefire statement successful Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt successful October 2025, he singled retired 1 leader for bonzer praise — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose activity he credited for helping present nan Gaza ceasefire.

"A feline who’s been a friend of excavation for a agelong time. I don’t cognize why I for illustration nan reliable group amended than nan soft, easy ones," Trump said astir Erdoğan astatine nan Sharm el-Sheikh acme successful October 2025. "This man from a spot called Turkey is 1 of nan astir powerful successful nan world … He’s a reliable cooky — but he’s my friend."

Hişyar Özsoy, a Turkish leader and academic, described nan narration betwixt Erdoğan and Trump arsenic "transactional," noting Washington often relies connected Turkey for location coordination.

In a argumentation webinar hosted by nan Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, Turkish world Hüseyin Bağcı emphasized that Ankara remains intimately tied to Washington.

"The Turkish authorities is not willing successful fighting pinch Israel because nan Turkish authorities has very bully relations pinch (the) United States of America," he said. "You cannot beryllium bully pinch America and past beryllium successful conflict pinch Israel."

Bağcı besides suggested Turkey has astatine times limited Islamist actors domestically.

"Today do you perceive thing about" nan Muslim Brotherhood, he said. "No … because nan president said stop." 

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, left, shakes hands pinch Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, right, arsenic NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg looks connected anterior to a gathering up of a NATO acme successful Vilnius, Lithuania, Monday, July 10, 2023.  (Yves Herman, Pool Photo via AP)

NATO state nether pressure

Turkey, a NATO member since 1952, remains a cardinal partner for nan United States, providing logistical access, subject capabilities and negotiated reach.

But Ciddi based on Turkey's existent trajectory progressively diverges from confederation priorities.

"There is an established way grounds … wherever Turkey importantly undermines nan transatlantic alliance’s halfway information concerns," he said.

He pointed to U.S. sanctions connected Turkish entities accused of supplying dual-use equipment to Russia, arsenic good arsenic Ankara’s broader strategy of maintaining ties pinch competing powers.

Iran and location positioning

As acold arsenic Turkey’s positioning itself amid tensions pinch Iran, Ciddi said Turkey is apt to favour a weakened Iranian authorities alternatively than a complete illness that could nutrient a much pro-Western government. 

"A weakened Iranian authorities is Erdoğan’s safest bet," he said.

Bağcı offered a akin appraisal of nan rivalry.

"Iran is not an force of Turkey, but not needfully its champion friend. Turkey and Iran are 2 location competitors," he said.

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In this May 30, 2015, record photo, supporters of Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and premier curate and leader of nan Justice and Development Party (AKP), Ahmet Davutoglu, immoderate holding Turkish flags, hold for their quality successful Istanbul during a rally to commemorate nan day of city's conquest by nan Ottoman Turks. As extremist unit and governmental uncertainty formed a protector complete Turkey, voters are looking for nan  parliamentary predetermination to usher successful stability. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis file) (The Associated Press)

Looking ahead

The study recommends imaginable U.S. argumentation responses, including sanctions and accrued scrutiny of Turkey’s financial system, steps that could reshape relations betwixt Washington and Ankara.

Fox News Digital reached retired aggregate times to nan Turkish authorities and to nan State Department for remark but did not person a consequence successful clip for publication.