Erdoğan has proven time and time again to be highly supportive of Islamist causes. During the Syrian War, Erdoğan provided tactical and financial support for Sunni Islamic jihadist groups fighting against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.<ref>http://oilprice.com/Interviews/ISIS-Turkey-And-Oil-The-Bigger-Picture-Interview-With-Pelicourt.html</ref><ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-new-cooperation-on-syria/2015/05/12/bdb48a68-f8ed-11e4-9030-b4732caefe81_story.html?utm_term=.f9d64badd958.</ref><ref>http://syriadirect.org/news/rebels-launch-full-on-assault-of-idlib-city/.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170128104239/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/12392/21/Gulf-allies-and-%E2%80%98Army-of-Conquest%E2%80%99.aspx Gulf allies and ‘Army of Conquest’], Ahram, 28 May, 2015.</ref> In addition, he has sought to use those proxies to establish a sphere of influence in the northern part of the country, a move that is consistent with imperialist foreign policy.<ref>https://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/28/russia-turkey-iran-eye-dicing-syria-into-zones-of-influence-report.html</ref> | Erdoğan has proven time and time again to be highly supportive of Islamist causes. During the Syrian War, Erdoğan provided tactical and financial support for Sunni Islamic jihadist groups fighting against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.<ref>http://oilprice.com/Interviews/ISIS-Turkey-And-Oil-The-Bigger-Picture-Interview-With-Pelicourt.html</ref><ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-new-cooperation-on-syria/2015/05/12/bdb48a68-f8ed-11e4-9030-b4732caefe81_story.html?utm_term=.f9d64badd958.</ref><ref>http://syriadirect.org/news/rebels-launch-full-on-assault-of-idlib-city/.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170128104239/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/12392/21/Gulf-allies-and-%E2%80%98Army-of-Conquest%E2%80%99.aspx Gulf allies and ‘Army of Conquest’], Ahram, 28 May, 2015.</ref> In addition, he has sought to use those proxies to establish a sphere of influence in the northern part of the country, a move that is consistent with imperialist foreign policy.<ref>https://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/28/russia-turkey-iran-eye-dicing-syria-into-zones-of-influence-report.html</ref> |