A fierce exchange of words has erupted between Israel and Turkey following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s threat of potential military intervention in Israel’s war on Gaza. Erdogan’s statement on Sunday, suggesting that Turkey could act militarily, has provoked sharp responses from both sides, heightening fears of a broader regional escalation.
Erdogan, speaking to his ruling AK Party in Rize, said, “There is no reason” that Turkey could not intervene in Gaza, referencing past Turkish military actions in Karabakh and Libya. “We must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these ridiculous things to Palestine,” he asserted.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz compared Erdogan to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. In a post on X, Katz wrote, “Just let him remember what happened there and how it ended,” alluding to Hussein’s capture and execution following the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.
Turkey’s reaction was swift and severe, with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs drawing a parallel between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Adolf Hitler. “Just as genocidal Hitler ended, so will genocidal Netanyahu,” the ministry stated. They further condemned Israeli actions against Palestinians, vowing, “Just as the genocidal Nazis were held accountable, so will those who try to destroy the Palestinians. Humanity will stand by the Palestinians. You will not be able to destroy the Palestinians.”
This exchange marks a significant escalation in the already tense relations between the two nations, with both sides using inflammatory rhetoric amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.