A war of words has erupted between Israel and Turkey after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested his country could intervene militarily in Israel’s conflict with Gaza. The exchange of sharp comments from Turkish and Israeli officials on Sunday and Monday followed Erdogan’s speech, in which he hinted at possible military action, citing Turkey’s past interventions in other countries.
The escalation in rhetoric comes amid ongoing fears of a broader conflict in the region. In response to Erdogan’s speech, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz compared the Turkish president to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, implying a similar fate could await Erdogan. Katz referenced Hussein’s 2003 capture by U.S. forces and subsequent execution, suggesting Erdogan should be mindful of history.
Turkey retaliated by likening Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating, “Just as genocidal Hitler ended, so will genocidal Netanyahu.” The ministry emphasized that those attempting to destroy the Palestinians would be held accountable, likening their actions to those of the Nazis.
Erdogan has consistently used strong language during Israel’s prolonged war in Gaza. In a speech to his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, he suggested that Turkey might take military action, as it had in Karabakh and Libya. In 2020, Turkey supported the UN-backed government in Libya by deploying troops and has provided military assistance to Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.
On Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan praised Erdogan as “the voice of humanity’s conscience” in a post on X, and accused international Zionist circles, including Israel, of trying to silence this “righteous voice.” Fidan warned that history has consistently ended badly for genociders and their supporters.
Earlier, Turkey restricted some exports to Israel in April, six months into the Gaza war, and claimed to have halted trade with Israel completely by early May. In retaliation, Israel threatened to annul its free trade agreement with Turkey, with Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich indicating the agreement could be reinstated if a new Turkish leader, who is “sane and not a hater of Israel,” comes to power.
