Turkey Threatens War on Israel 0 17

Speaking in Istanbul at the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, he stated: “We must be strong enough not to allow Israel to do this to Palestine… Just as we entered Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we will do the same with them… Nothing prevents us from doing this.”

Erdogan mentioned that Israel forced 1.2 million Lebanese to leave their homes and described Tel Aviv's actions in the Gaza Strip as "barbaric": “The bloodied network of genocide continues to kill innocent children, women, and civilians, ignoring all human values.” On April 11, the Turkish prosecutor's office requested life imprisonment for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was previously sentenced in absentia on charges of genocide.

Commenting on the situation regarding Iran, Erdogan stated that the world is entering a period where the “law of the strong” applies. He emphasized that Ankara does not intend to enter the conflict between Iran, the U.S., and Israel, although it sees attempts to drag it into the conflict. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also criticized Israel. He stated that Israel “cannot exist without an enemy” and is trying to present Turkey in that role. According to him, this is turning into a state strategy for Israel.

In response, Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu stated that “hypocritical Erdogan does not impress anyone with this circus” and called him “a megalomaniac dictator with imperialist ambitions.” According to analyst Yoni Ben-Menachem, Erdogan's statements are part of a broader strategy: “Turkey is the new Iran,” seeking to increase its influence in the region and form a new Sunni bloc.

Relations between Ankara and Jerusalem have deteriorated since the beginning of the war in Gaza. Turkey and Israel have previously clashed multiple times over operations in Gaza and during the war in Syria. In 2010, the Israeli army raided the “Freedom Flotilla” (Free Gaza Movement), which was heading to the Gaza Strip. At that time, nine Turkish and one American activist were killed, writes The Moscow Times.