In front of the Saudi Embassy in Ankara and the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Jan. 3, small, yet passionate, groups of protesters got together. Holding posters of executed Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, the protesters condemned Saudi Arabia for the execution. The mainstream media outlets did not report these protests — which were peaceful, despite substantial concerns.

Al-Monitor spoke with Kadir Akaras, the chairman of the Ehli Beyt Scholars Association, which was one of the organizers of the protests. News reports noted this was a protest organized by the Turkish Shiite (Jaafari) community. Akaras said, “People from all sections of society participated: Sunnis, Alevis, Shiites, Kurds and Turks. Despite the cold weather, thousands of Muslims gathered to protest the Saudi regime.” Akaras explained that the Turkish police forces provided extensive security measures at the Saudi Embassy and Saudi Consulate, and yet they were also respectful of the peaceful protesters.

Nimr’s execution Jan. 2 has brought tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran to another level, leading many to question if the region is on the brink of a sectarian war. Pundits express concerns that Turkey's foreign policy will face further challenges. What will Turkey do in the midst of increasing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran? Will growing sectarianism affect Turkey’s precarious domestic politics given its existing problems with the Kurds and the Alevis?

Al-Monitor spoke with a diverse group of pundits and bureaucrats in Ankara and Istanbul about the impact of a potential escalation of sectarian tensions. Most of them emphasized the emerging challenges, while some were more optimistic about finding opportunities in the face of the intensifying Saudi-Iranian conflict. That said, all of them mirrored the somber mood of the Turkish mainstream media of a regional sectarian war being real and imminent.