Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a televised address on Sunday that Ankara might invade Israel, drawing a harsh rebuke from the Jewish state’s foreign minister.
“We must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them,” Erdoğan said, per Reuters.
“There is no reason why we cannot do this,” he added. “We must be strong so that we can take these steps.”
“In 2020, Turkey sent military personnel to Libya in support of the United Nations-recognized Government of National Accord of Libya,” per Reuters. “Turkey has denied any direct role in Azerbaijan’s military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, but said last year it was using ‘all means,’ including military training and modernization, to support its close ally.”
Israel Katz, the Israeli foreign affairs minister, wrote in Hebrew that Erdoğan should watch his step.
“Erdoğan follows in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein and threatens to attack Israel,” Katz wrote. “Just let him remember what happened there and how it ended.”
Yair Lapid, the Israeli opposition leader, wrote that the Turkish president “is ranting and raving again” and “is a danger to the Middle East.”
“The world, and especially NATO members, must strongly condemn his outrageous threats against Israel and force him to end his support for Hamas,” Lapid said. “We won’t accept threats from a wannabe dictator.”
“Islamofascist Erdoğan threatens to invade Israel. This guy is totally nuts,” wrote the Dutch politician Geert Wilders. “Turkey should be kicked out of NATO.”
Abraham Foxman, Anti-Defamation League director emeritus, wrote that “Erdoğan of Turkey, a member of NATO, is threatening the State of Israel with a military attack! Where is the outrage and condemnation from the United States—and all our NATO allies?”
