Erdogan's Neo-Ottoman Aspirations Advance As The World War I Treaty (Treaty Of Lausanne) Approaches Its 2023 Expiration Date.

             Following the end of World War I, Britain, France, Italy, and the other allies undertook several rounds of talks to try to calm the world's unrest. Through a crucial pact, the victorious parties agreed to limit the power of the "Sick Man," or the Ottomans and split the vast enlarged territory of the disintegrating empire. Although it is known as the Treaty of Lausanne, its July 2023 expiration date may pave the way for Turkey to resume its previous colonial aspirations. Except for the cities that are in Syria, such as Urfa, Adana, Gaziantep, Kells, and Marsh, Turkey had to give up its claims to the Levant, Cyprus, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, and Sudan.

The former Ottoman provinces were occupied by European nations: Syria and Lebanon were entirely under French rule, whereas Egypt, Sudan, and Iraq were formally annexed by the British Empire. Before being turned over to the fledgling state of Israel, British authorities placed Palestine under their control. The Italians occupied Libya, and lastly, Cyprus arrived at its current unfortunate position.

The Turkish Straits, which connect the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, have been opened to all ships. Additionally, it allowed for the free transit of civilians through the Turkish Straits and enabled the interchange of the population between Greece and Turkey. Additional limitations were placed on Turkey, including the ban on oil and gas production and the restriction of its access to international passes. After several rounds, the agreement was ratified in 1923.

Additionally, it changed the current borders of the Arab nations and the Middle East in addition to officially announcing the end of the old Ottoman Empire and the establishment of modern Turkey. The initial borders of present-day Turkey were fiercely guarded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who succeeded in keeping Turkey's possessions secure. As this historic agreement is going to expire in 2023, the Turks' continued ambition—they are well recognized for their expansion plans, colonization efforts, and nationalism—kept the myths of re-establishing the ancient Ottoman Empire alive.

This mindset was reinforced after Erdogan's ascent to prominence in Turkish politics by several Islamist and extreme Islamist organizations, who adopted the aspiration of creating a large state under a single Islamic flag as part of their philosophy. Erdogan refers to this second republic as "New Turkey," and it has begun in Turkey. Critics worry that the new Turkish state will lack Ataturk's secularism, while supporters hope it will be free of the authoritarianism that characterized Ataturk's republic, according to Foreign Policy's Nick Danforth.

The ideology of Turkish Islamists is somewhat convoluted because it combines the desire to create a modern Islamic state and a state with the Turkish flag. The Arab Spring's arrival in the Middle East, which allowed the Turkish army to be active in the region's numerous nations including Syria, Iraq, and Libya, was one of many factors that supported Erdogan's plan.

After the Muslim Brotherhood took power in Egypt before being overthrown by the 30 June Revolution, it would be on the Turkish dream list. The deployment of Turkish military capabilities in the Middle East is connected to Turkish foreign policy in the region, according to Mohamed Abdel-Kader Khalil, an Egyptian expert on Turkish affairs. The Turkish military's buildup on the Iraqi and Syrian borders, its engagement in the Red Sea thanks to a deal on the Sudanese island of "Sawaken," and its military action in the Syrian city of Afrin in the north have all reflected this.

However, Turkey is attempting to undermine Egypt's sense of security through its involvement in several regional wars in Libya and by inciting unrest in the Mediterranean region near Cyprus and Greece, two of Egypt's most important strategic allies. Along with controlling Libya's oil riches, it is also attempting to build up a fictitious maritime agreement with Libya.

Turkey can usher in a new era as it can explore for oil and create a new waterway between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara as a preliminary to collecting the fee from passing ships once the 100-year-old treaty expires in 2023. Istanbul Canal is one possible name for it.

The state is focusing on the most recent gas discoveries in the ocean, the ongoing oil spills in Syria, Iraq, and Libya, and its efforts to fortify its strategic position. Mosul is today one of Turkey's most important regions, as many analysts have noted. Khalil stated, "Erdogan's strong nationalism is now pouring across Turkey's borders and is aiming at capturing land in Greece and Iraq. The purpose is to develop Turkish relations overseas to promote military exports, maximize economic returns, and boost regional influence based on hard force.

Additionally, they will have the freedom to take advantage of the abundant resources, especially those in northern Iraq, and the authority to take advantage of the subsurface resources and start drilling for resource exploration. Furthermore, Turkey can retake the Greek Islands that it previously controlled in the Aegean and ceded to Greece as part of a treaty. For this reason, the 2014 Cairo Declaration and the maritime agreement Egypt held with its sea allies Greece and Cyprus disturbed Turkey's plans in the Mediterranean.

Turkey has gained additional success from its own perspective in addition to its involvement in Libya, Syria, and Iraq when Armenia turned over significant portions of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region to Turkey's partner Azerbaijan. Amid the Nagorno-Karabakh hostilities, the prime minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, stated that if Turkey and Azerbaijan were successful in gaining control of the disputed region's lands, it would inspire Turkish aspirations of expansion.

Greece has revealed that Turkey and Greece are in a serious diplomatic discussion about renegotiating their shared borders under the auspices of the Lausanne Treaty, which is about to expire. Additionally, Turkey's most recent diplomatic and political actions demonstrate the nation's desire to retake the long-gone Ottoman Empire.

Therefore, Turkey's efforts to create the so-called "New Turkey 2023" included enlarging its territory to include Iraq and the northern portion of Syria as well as preventing the Kurds from establishing their own unified state. Along with maintaining control over Libya, extending the portion of Cyprus that is under occupation, increasing Turkey's military presence in the Mediterranean, and upping armed conflict in Yemen to retake Mecca and Al Madina, these actions undermine Saudi Arabia's tranquility. On the other hand, Turkey started using diplomatic channels to talk to European nations about the future of the nation's foreign policy.

About Turkey's anticipated geopolitical role following the alleged treaty abrogation, Khalil emphasized that "there is a desire to regain control of areas that were once part of the former Ottoman Empire," adding that "Turkey has long been associated with the idea that many areas in the Middle East or Central Asia suffer from conflicts because of their isolation from the Turkish state.

The latter has reserved the right to act in the area based on historical considerations as well as strategic reasons. Turkey may make more serious diplomatic maneuvers with Europe and Russia, as well as exploit its economic ambition or form deeper strategic alliances, to improve its standing among other nations and strive to end its isolation.

Regarding Turkey's foreign policy in the Middle East, it continues to exhibit clear expansionist tendencies. For instance, it is imposing its culture, nationality, language, and history in Northern Syria and allowing Syrians to enlist in the Turkish military to take part in important military conflicts like Libya.

However, in light of the severe economic crisis that rocked the nation, the state has resumed utilizing the file of refugees and former ISIS agents to blackmail other European nations into accepting his ongoing economic and political demands.

Following the release of unauthorized Navtex orders for the Greek territories in the Aegean amid Turkey's impending military exercises, Turkey signaled an additional move on Friday by committing multiple violations in the Aegean close to Greece and Cyprus.

On the other side, Greece expressed new worries about Turkey's intentions to pursue an expansionist agenda in the Aegean. This month will see negotiations between Turkey and Greece; according to Tasos Kokkinidis of the Greek Reporter, "for Greece, exploratory talks should focus on an agreed settlement of the issue of the delimitation of the continental shelf." There is a framework, it is distinct, and it is one of the exploratory contacts, according to government spokesman Stelios Petsas. He continued, "We have one distinction, which is the delimitation of the marine zones. We are hopeful that Turkey would halt its inflammatory words and actions and pick up the thread where it was severed in March 2016.