Call Me Back - with Dan Senor Is the real story in Syria actually Turkey?
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Jul 24, 2025 
Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, and Chay Eitan Cohen Yanarocak, a Turkish-Israeli scholar, dive deep into the complexities of the recent violence in Syria, particularly affecting the Druze community. They discuss the evolving role of Turkey under its new leadership and the implications for Israel-Turkish relations. Lister outlines concerns about Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, while Yanarocak sheds light on Turkey's strategic maneuvers in the region, making for a thought-provoking analysis of current geopolitical tensions.
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Local Dispute Turns Deadly
- The Syrian conflict ignited from a local dispute between Druze and Bedouin communities over land and smuggling routes.
- A brutal cycle of kidnappings and executions escalated into wider violence involving the Syrian government and militias.
Turkey's Geopolitical Role
- Turkey supported the opposition against Assad and sought to penetrate Syria after his fall.
- Erdogan uses Syria to isolate Israel and thwart regional alliances like the Abraham Accords.
Contradictory Dynamics in Syria
- The US and others gave cautious support to Syria's new transitional government despite its Islamist leader's past.
- Israel's strikes in Damascus contradicted private and public calls for Syrian-Israeli stability talks, complicating regional diplomacy.