Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, an expert on Turkey, was interviewed today (Wednesday) on the “Israel Morning” program with Tal Meir, and addressed the unveiling of a new ballistic missile by Turkey, the country’s armament trends, and the question of whether Israel should be concerned about security developments in the Middle East.
“We see that Turkey is not sitting idly by,” said Yanarocak. “They are showing off a new ballistic missile, and openly talking about drawing lessons from the recent confrontation between Iran and Israel. For them, this is the time for a show of force. Just yesterday, there was a large military parade in Turkey where they unveiled the new missile, with a clear statement: Turkey is prepared for any scenario.”
According to Yanarocak, Turkey’s new missile is expected to reach a range of about 1,800 kilometers, compared to the current missile, which reaches up to 560 kilometers. “If you place the missile at the southernmost point of Turkey, it covers all the way to Beersheba,” he explained. “Its previous version was already aimed at Athens, and posed a threat to Greece and Armenia. Now this is a new level of deterrence.”
Does Israel have reason to worry? “Absolutely,” Janrojek states. “After what happened on October 7, we simply cannot afford to underestimate any threat – even if it is only potential, that is a lesson we must internalize.”
