Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's recent statement, asserting that Turkey could intervene in Israel as it did in Nagorno-Karabakh and Libya, has garnered strong support from his administration. Members of Erdogan's government also voiced hopes that Israel would be held accountable for actions in the Gaza Strip.
“Our president has become the voice of the conscience of humanity. The international Zionist circles, led by Israel, which seek to suppress him, are very concerned. History has ended equally for all those who committed genocide and those who supported them,” wrote Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on X (formerly Twitter).
Erdogan's chief foreign policy and security adviser, Akif Cagatay Kilic, echoed these sentiments: “Erdogan and his supporters will always stand by the oppressed. [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his cabinet members will end up on the dustbin of history like all the perpetrators of genocide.”
Ali Yerlikaya, the head of the Turkish Interior Ministry, also weighed in, stating, “Those who dropped bombs on innocent children will remain a black stain in history before the eyes of all mankind.”
Erdogan's Statement and Context
Erdogan's strong remarks against Israel were widely broadcast by local TV channels on Sunday. However, he did not provide specifics on what he meant by "enter Israel."
Turkish media highlight that Ankara supported Baku during the Karabakh conflict. Last November, the Turkish parliament extended the mission of Turkey's armed forces in Azerbaijan as part of a joint Russian-Turkish monitoring center to oversee the ceasefire. Additionally, the Turkish majlis extended the mandate for its military contingent in Libya, present since 2020 under a military agreement with the Government of National Accord.
Israeli Response and Further Statements
Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz reacted to Erdogan's comments by warning that Erdogan could face a fate similar to Saddam Hussein, who was executed in 2006 after leading Iraq from 1979 to 2003.
Turkey's foreign ministry retorted, suggesting that “the end of genocide perpetrator Netanyahu will be the same as Hitler's.” The ministry's statement added, “Those who try to destroy the Palestinians will respond in the same way as the genocidal Nazis who committed genocide. Humanity will be on the side of the Palestinians. You will not destroy the Palestinians.”
Deterioration of Relations
Relations between Israel and Turkey have significantly worsened since the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in October 2023. The two nations have exchanged harsh remarks and mutual accusations. In late October 2023, the Israeli foreign ministry announced the withdrawal of diplomats from Ankara “to reassess Israeli-Turkish relations,” while Turkey recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv for consultations.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS