Recent remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who said Turkey might enter Israel as it had done in the past in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, have been interpreted by Israel as a threat of military action, igniting a war of words between the two countries.
One of the most outspoken critics of the ongoing Israeli offensive on Gaza, Erdoğan told a meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the Black Sea province of Rize that Turkey “must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these ugly things to Palestine.”
“Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we will do [something] similar to them,” Erdoğan said in remarks that were interpreted as the threat of a military operation into Israel by Turkey.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, notorious for his attacks on Erdoğan on social media, responded to Erdoğan’s comments in a tweet on Sunday, comparing him to the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
“Erdogan is following in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein and is threatening to attack Israel. Just let him remember what happened there and how it ended,” he wrote.
ארדואן הולך בדרכו של סדאם חוסיין ומאיים לתקוף את ישראל. רק שיזכור מה קרה שם ואיך זה הסתיים.@RTErdogan pic.twitter.com/6GykLtLoh4
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 28, 2024
Katz’s remarks drew an angry reaction from Ömer Çelik, the spokesperson for Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), likening him to Joachim von Ribbentrop, who served as minister of foreign affairs of Nazi Germany under the rule of Adolf Hitler from 1938 to 1945.
İsrail Dışişleri Bakanı, Nazilerin günümüzdeki temsilcisi olan bir katliam makinesinin dişlisinden ibarettir.
İsrail’in Nazi kafalı Dışişleri Bakanının ve benzerlerinin Cumhurbaşkanımıza sürekli saldırması, Cumhurbaşkanımızın insanlık değerleri ve vicdanı adına takip ettiği…
— Ömer Çelik (@omerrcelik) July 29, 2024
“Israel’s Nazi-minded foreign minister and others like him constantly attack our president because they are disturbed by the policies our president pursues in the name of human values and conscience. No matter what they do, they will not be able to cover up the murderous and genocidal policies of their government,” Çelik tweeted.
Erdoğan, who accuses Israel of committing “war crimes” and a “genocide” on Gaza, frequently refers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “the Hitler of our age,” a “war criminal” and the “butcher of Gaza.”
Katz’s Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, has accused international “Zionist circles, and especially Israel” of trying to silence the “righteous voice” of Erdoğan, who he said has become the voice of humanity’s conscience.
“History ended the same way for all genocide perpetrators and their supporters,” Fidan tweeted.
Far-right ally backs Erdoğan
Erdoğan’s far-right ally, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahçeli, who was outraged by Katz’s remarks, said on Monday on X that he condemns the Israeli foreign minister’s remarks targeting Erdoğan.
Bahçeli said Katz’s attacks on Erdoğan are the manifestation of a guilty conscience due to his government’s ongoing “genocidal” acts in Gaza, adding that Israel will have to account for massacring nearly 40,000 people in Gaza.
Regarding Erdoğan’s remarks about “entering Israel,” Bahçeli said Turkey should take every scenario into consideration, make the necessary political, strategic and military preparations and should prove that Turkey is not a country that can be taken “lightly.”
Erdoğan frequently uses threatening language against countries with which Turkey has troubled relations, but he is also famous for his U-turns on domestic and international issues. Many say Erdoğan uses such rhetoric for the purposes of domestic politics, aiming to strengthen his Islamist and nationalist voter base.
For instance, before a visit to Athens last December, he made one of his U-turns and said the threatening language he had used against Greece, similar to what he just said to Israel, was not meant for the country itself but for “terrorist elements.”
When Erdoğan was asked about his earlier threats against Greece and his specific statement about Turkish troops descending on Greece “suddenly one night,” he said it was about “terrorist elements that threaten the security of our country.” Erdoğan did not specify which terrorist elements he meant, though.
Meanwhile, far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders said Turkey should be kicked out of NATO after Erdoğan’s remarks about “invading” Israel.
“Islamofascist Erdogan threatens to invade Israel. This guy is totally nuts. Turkey should be kicked out of NATO,” he tweeted on Sunday.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which began on October 7 following an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, has led to more than 39,000 casualties and massive devastation, according to the health ministry in Gaza.