Ankara assured Hezbollah delegations that Turkey backs the Iran-backed group's ongoing involvement in Lebanon and that Damascus has no intention of moving against the organization, Lebanese Member of Parliament Ali Fayyad stated to the Hezbollah-linked Al-Mayadeen last week.

The remarks from the Hezbollah politician preceded US President Donald Trump informing Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that Syria ought to assume responsibility for neutralizing the Hezbollah threat, noting that if Israel cannot manage the task without widespread casualties then an alternative approach may prove more effective.

Trump specifically suggested to Israel that Syria handle Hezbollah, expressing the view that they would manage the situation more successfully.

Turkey has hosted multiple delegations from the organization even while preserving strong connections with Western partners including the United States through its NATO membership. Reports from the Alma Education and Research Center last year highlighted that these ties have not stopped Turkey from functioning as a conduit for financial transfers to Hezbollah. The Research Institute for European and American Studies added last month that Turkey has permitted Hezbollah recruitment activities on its territory and has welcomed delegations linked to the group under political or semi-diplomatic pretexts.

Last year, Sayyid Ammar al-Moussawi, who leads Hezbollah's Arab and international relations department, reportedly headed a delegation to a conference in Istanbul focused on Palestine.

While urging that such unconfirmed statements from a Hezbollah member be viewed with care, geopolitical analyst Burak Can Celik based in Istanbul told The Jerusalem Post that Ankara has long sought to keep communication lines open with various regional players, even those whose interests do not fully align. These contacts typically aim to reduce tensions and uphold stability rather than endorse specific positions.

Turkey continues to balance both sides

He noted that Ankara maintains a balancing approach. It stays a NATO member with robust economic and security links to the West while seeking to retain diplomatic influence throughout the Middle East by engaging diverse actors. Therefore claims by Fayyad should not be read as signaling a departure from Western partnerships. They more likely reflect Turkey's established preference for dialogue with competing regional forces without committing to any single side.

Celik added that Hezbollah may possess strategic reasons to depict Turkey as closer to the so-called Axis of Resistance than is accurate. At a moment when the group faces significant regional pressure and aims to signal it is not isolated, such portrayals can help reassure its supporters and strengthen its political standing. These statements may therefore capture both Turkey's foreign policy approach and Hezbollah's own communication strategies and objectives.