On Sunday, Turkey’s president warned of a potential military intervention in Israel to halt the ongoing conflict in Gaza, marking a notable escalation in rhetoric from the second-largest military in NATO.
During a gathering with his Justice and Development Party (AKP), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Turkey “must exhibit strength so that Israel cannot commit these absurd actions against Palestine.”
“Just as we positioned ourselves in Karabakh, and similar to our involvement in Libya, we might undertake comparable actions,” he mentioned, referencing a Reuters report.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addresses the media in Baghdad, Iraq, on Monday, April 22, 2024. He criticized the Eurovision Song Contest on Monday, May 20, 2024, for allegedly promoting “gender neutralization” and threatening traditional family values. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye /Pool Photo via AP)
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Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz retaliated strongly, suggesting that Erdoğan could face a fate similar to Iraq’s former leader, Saddam Hussein, who was executed in 2006.
“Erdoğan mimics Saddam Hussein by threatening an attack on Israel. He should recall how that situation concluded,” Katz stated in a message on X that included an image of Erdoğan alongside Hussein.
The Israel Defense Forces are conducting operations in Rafah, located in the Gaza Strip. (IDF Spokesman’s Office)
Fox News Digital has not yet been able to contact the U.S. State Department, the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., or NATO for comments on efforts to de-escalate tensions between the NATO nation and the West’s primary ally in the Middle East.
The Turkish president’s threats arise as Israel confronts escalating hostilities from Iran-supported Islamic militants, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthi groups.
Erdoğan did not specify the nature of any potential Turkish military action, though he has been a consistent critic of the Gaza conflict.
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Dislocated Palestinians arrive in central Gaza after seeking refuge from Rafah on Thursday, May 9. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)
“We have every reason to take action… It is crucial for us to remain strong to execute these plans,” Erdoğan expressed to AKP party officials.
The Turkish leader seemed to refer to the military involvement Ankara had in 2020, when it deployed troops to support the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord during Libya’s civil war, which began in 2014.
Turkey has denied direct involvement in Azerbaijan’s military actions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, where it asserts it is conducting “anti-terror” operations against Armenian forces. However, reports have suggested that in 2023, Ankara admitted to using “all means” to assist its ally with military training.
Smoke billows from an Israeli strike near the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on March 28, 2024, amidst ongoing hostilities between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (Photo by AFP)
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet reacted publicly to Erdoğan’s remarks; however, both leaders have a history of exchanging severe criticisms over the years.
Netanyahu and Erdoğan have previously likened one another to Adolf Hitler, citing Turkey’s ongoing conflict with Kurdish militants and Israel’s aggressive actions against Palestinians.
