Retired Turkish Rear Admiral Warns: 30 Million-Troop Force Will Crush Israeli Military Like Insects
In a certain sense, Turkey resembles a reiteration of India, particularly in terms of self-assurance.
Recently, a video interview with retired Turkish naval rear admiral Gökhan Yaiç has gone viral online. The reason lies in Yaiç’s remarks during a televised discussion, in which he cautioned Israel against underestimating Turkey:
“While Israel may conduct aerial strikes on Turkey, it cannot engage in a full-scale ground conflict with the country. Should war break out, approximately 30 million Turkish troops would advance southward—neither Syria nor Lebanon could withstand such force… Ultimately, warfare remains a contest between infantry and fully mobilized military forces. As the region’s most powerful nation, Turkey’s armed forces would crush the Israeli military like insects.”
A review of available information reveals that Gökhan Yaiç, the retired admiral who advocates deploying a 30-million-strong army to confront Israel, is the principal architect of Turkey’s naval strategic doctrine known as “Blue Homeland.” This theory calls for expanding Turkey’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.
Regardless of whether “Blue Homeland” conforms to international law, Yaiç’s role in shaping this doctrine indicates a certain level of academic rigor—having earned a doctorate from Istanbul University. Yet, despite his scholarly background, he has made such hyperbolic threats toward Israel. This underscores the extent of Turkey’s strategic imagination—and its enduring confidence.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880018516283401/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.