TURKEY PERSPECTIVE

Turkey views the event through the lens of French diplomacy and offers its own interpretation: Daily Sabah publishes Macron's full statement — 'nothing justifies the major escalation in south Lebanon' — and lists his interlocutors (MBS, Sultan Haitham, MBZ, Sissi) one by one. This is an indirect way for Turkey's Erdogan to remind the world that his country is a key player in regional de-escalation diplomacy, even if Macron does not explicitly mention him in his consultations.

Turkish media emphasizes the Strait of Hormuz dimension: the closure of the strait is treated as a potential economic catastrophe for Turkey, which relies on oil and gas transit through the Gulf. Macron's phrase — 'immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without any conditions' — is highlighted and linked to the France-UK multinational mission that Turkey observes with caution, fearing that its own navy will be marginalized.

Daily Sabah also documents the capture of Beaufort soberly, describing it as a 'medieval castle' and 'stepping up Lebanon invasion.' Trump is quoted as saying that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to stop attacks, but the journal adds a crucial detail: 'Israel okays more Beirut strikes, ventures deeper into Lebanon' — showing that Tel Aviv has not really surrendered. Ankara reads this sequence as proof that Trump's unilateralism will not be enough, and that Turkey will play a role in the aftermath. The tone is more measured than on Gaza, where Ankara had taken the lead in the anti-Israel front.