by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The killing of 65 people by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip since last week has thrust Turkey and its leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the forefront of the Islamic world against the Jewish state, as he vows to defend the Palestinian struggle ahead of the crucial general elections, analysts say.

"There is a vacuum among Arab nations regarding the Palestinian issue and Turkey is filling it while sectarian strife is on the rise between Sunni and Shiite Muslims," Oytun Orhan, an expert at the Ankara-based think tank Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM), told Xinhua.

In Turkey, the Palestinian issue is traditionally supported by conservative electors, Orhan added.

Turkey has so far been the most outspoken Islamic country in denouncing the massacre of Palestinian protesters against U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial decision to move embassy in Israel to the holy city of Jerusalem.

One month ahead of the June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections that would give Erdogan, if re-elected, extensive executive powers and remodel Turkey's parliamentary tradition, he launched a vehement attack against Israel's mass killing of Palestinians, branding it as a "massacre," "barbaric deed" or "genocide."

On Friday, the clear favorite of the presidential race convened an emergency summit of the 57-member Organization for Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, while joining a mass political rally in the Turkish largest city, to protest the Palestinian deaths in Gaza.

Both Turkey and Israel have recalled their ambassadors, while Turkey's largely government dominated press has been condemning the Israeli government in the harshest terms for days.

"These crimes of Israel are being committed with the support of the U.S.," said Erdogan, who also called back Turkish ambassador in Washington, and suggested sending an international peace force to Palestine.

The Turkish strongman, who has accused Arab countries of not doing enough for the Palestinian cause, appears determined to spearhead the international campaign against Israel amid a war of words on Twitter with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The Islamic world has unfortunately failed in the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) issue. But Turkey will continue to defend Palestine in the international sphere until the end," Erdogan told a massive crowd on Friday.

For all his sincerity in defending the Palestinians, Erdogan also understands that religious feelings could be a game changer in the upcoming polls, especially among the largely conservative electorate.

Surveys show religious and patriotic themes tend to win votes, as Turkey's electorate regularly favors nationalist or conservative parties.

"President Erdogan is very popular in the Arab streets. Since coming to power 15 years ago, he has always defended the Palestinian cause, making it one of his missions, as he knows that this cause is deeply rooted in the mind of the faithful Turks," Orhan explained.

Other analysts said Erdogan has been building his country as a soft power by expanding influence in an area that Turks had governed for centuries under the Ottoman Empire.

"Erdogan has made his mark on a divided Islamic world and made a real difference with strength and sincerity by defending the cause of the oppressed Palestinians," Veysel Ayhan, an international relations professor on the Middle East, told Xinhua.

But Muharrem Ince, presidential candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said Erdogan was more concerned with boosting his own profile than those of Palestinians.

"Your concern is not Palestine. People are struggling to survive in these economic conditions, while your concern are the elections," Ince said in a public rally in western Turkey.

It is also worth mentioning that Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party, which holds the majority in parliament, dismissed last week a motion by a opposition party to cancel economic and political agreements with Israel.

Despite deep differences, Turkey, a NATO member, and Israel have normalized their relation in recent years after a meltdown of diplomatic ties in 2010, when a Turkish-led flotilla sent to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip ended in a clash with Israeli forces, leading to the death of 10 Turkish citizens.

The two countries have signed cooperation agreements worth multi-million U.S. dollars, including the construction of a gas pipeline in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Moreover, Orhan said Erdogan's active role in the Palestinian issue will also be secretly disapproved by some key Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, which enjoy a newly found relationship with Israel behind the scene.

"These countries are not happy with the fact that Turkey plays a role in the Palestinian issue as they are losing their energy in sectarian tensions and regional rivalries and hostilities," the Turkish expert pointed out.