A top US lobbyist this week touched on what he called Turkey’s increasingly problematic stance towards American and Western interests, in testimony before the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe.

In his detailed statement, Jonathan Schanzer, the executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a conservative think tank, spoke to Committee members at a hearing entitled “Bridging the Gap: Turkey Between East and West,” where, among others, he more-or-less outlined a revisionist, belligerent and militarist policy followed by the Erdogan-led Turkish government.
“…perhaps the most dangerous indicator of Turkey’s ambition is its “Blue Homeland” policy of dominating the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, even at the expense of other NATO members, such as Greece…Tensions are rising in the Eastern Mediterranean today, with Turkish vessels challenging Greece and Cyprus at an alarming rate, even in their own exclusive economic zones. Ankara’s goal is nothing less than regional dominance…Policymakers in Washington must keep a close eye on this dangerous dynamic. War in the Eastern Mediterranean becomes more likely with every act of Turkish aggression,” Schanzer said.

In framing his opening statement, Schanzer outlined four points he said should worry the West, namely:

“First, Turkey has become a state sponsor of terrorism. It may not appear on the State Department list right now. But it should. Ankara has a long and established track record for supporting Middle East terrorist groups and rogue states.

“…The Erdogan government has been unabashed in backing terror groups like Hamas, al-Qaeda, and even the Islamic State.
Second, Turkey has ambitions of regional if not global dominance. Erdoğan has made no secret of his irredentist and Neo-Ottoman aim. To put it plainly, he seeks to make Turkey great again. Ankara is actively working to expand its traditional sphere of influence in the Middle East and beyond, and it is doing so at the expense of the stability of our allies — and even the United States.

“…Third, Turkey threatens the cohesion and security of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey has adopted policies that support NATO adversaries like Russia. But some of Ankara’s other
policies simply fly in the face of the values of this important alliance.

“…Fourth and relatedly, Turkey plays a duplicitous role in Russia’s war against Ukraine. This must not
continue.”

His entire testimony is here:
https://www.fdd.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/03-05-25-Schanzer-Written-Testimony.pdf

Earlier, Republican House Representative Joe Wilson said that although there are “ups and downs” in relations between Washington and Ankara, mutual benefit and the contribution of this partnership to freedom and democracy are fundamental.

He also cited the participation of Turkey’s ambassador to Washington, Sedat Önal, at the recent Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, while underlining a long-standing bilateral cooperation to fight terrorism.

Conversely, Nevada Democrat Dina Titus, a Greek-American, stressed that it was Greece that stands out as a responsible ally in support of America’s interests in the region, while Ankara gives out an impression that it is interested in Erdogan’s “neo-Ottoman ambitions.”