 on Sunday denied claims circulating in the international media and on social media that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened to invade Israel, calling the reports “entirely unfounded.”){kind=link}
Turkey’s Center for Combatting Disinformation (DMM) on Sunday denied claims circulating in the international media and on social media that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened to invade Israel, calling the reports “entirely unfounded.”
In a statement posted on its X account, the DMM said claims attributed to Erdoğan suggesting Turkey had threatened military action against Israel “do not reflect the facts” and were aimed at undermining regional stability.
Claims circulating in certain media outlets and on social media, attributing to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan the statement that “Türkiye has threatened to invade Israel”, are entirely unfounded.
The assertions in these posts do not reflect the facts and constitute narratives… pic.twitter.com/iy01fh3m0e
— Dezenformasyonla Mücadele Merkezi (@dmmiletisim) April 12, 2026
The denial came after a report by The Telegraph claimed Erdoğan had suggested Turkey could intervene militarily against Israel over its actions in Lebanon. The report cited remarks in which Erdoğan was quoted as saying there was “no reason” not to act and referenced past Turkish involvement in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.
A video of the remarks circulated widely on social media. It was later identified as footage from July 28, 2024, when Erdoğan was speaking at a party event in his hometown in the Black Sea province of Rize.
“Türkiye has always assumed a leading role … in advocating for an end to bloodshed, the protection of civilians and the establishment of lasting peace,” the DMM statement said, adding that under Erdoğan’s leadership the country remains committed to regional peace, security and prosperity.
The DMM dismissed the broader narrative surrounding the claims as “manipulative content” and urged the public not to give credence to what it described as distortions of Turkey’s policies and humanitarian stance.
On Monday The Telegraph’s global health security editor, Paul Nuki, said the outlet had removed the story. “Hi, we’ve taken the story down. The quotes looks like they were old or made up all together. Appologies,” he wrote on X.
Hi, we've taken the story down. The quotes looks like they were old or made up all together. Appologies
— Paul Nuki 🦋 (@PaulNuki) April 13, 2026
In a separate statement, the DMM also denied claims that Erdoğan had said Turkey would consider any attack on Iran or Lebanon as an attack on Turkey, again calling the assertions unfounded.
The center said such allegations were aimed at drawing Turkey into regional conflicts and creating false perceptions in the international arena.
The latest war in the Middle East began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched large-scale airstrikes targeting Iranian military and government sites, prompting Iran to retaliate with missile and drone attacks on Israel as well as US assets across the Middle East.
Since the start of the war, Turkey has sought to stay out of the conflict, calling on all sides to halt hostilities.
A ceasefire was announced on April 7 after weeks of fighting, though uncertainty remains over how long it will hold.
The controversy comes amid escalating tensions between Turkish and Israeli officials at the weekend.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Erdoğan over comments related to a US-Iran ceasefire, accusing him of supporting hostile actors and making inflammatory statements.
Shortly after the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire last week, Erdoğan warned US President Donald Trump of “possible provocations and sabotage” that could undermine the agreement, without specifying who might threaten the deal.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also targeted Erdoğan, calling him a “paper tiger” and accusing him of hypocrisy.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry responded by condemning Netanyahu’s remarks and defending Erdoğan, accusing the Israeli leader of attempting to undermine peace efforts while facing international legal scrutiny over Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Turkey, while a fierce critic of Israel, joined diplomatic efforts with Egypt and Pakistan to reach a ceasefire in the conflict.
The exchange marks the latest in a series of sharp verbal clashes between Ankara and Tel Aviv as regional tensions remain high.
Erdoğan has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s war on Gaza, which began after a Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, but he has faced frequent criticism for failing to match his rhetoric with action, as his government faced accusations of continuing trade with Israel during the war, which claimed more than 75,000 lives in Gaza.