Says ‘We might enter Israel’ as we did Karabakh and Libya
Compares Netanyahu to Hitler, threatens more than a trade ban
Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stepped up rhetoric against Israel in light of mounting attacks on Palestinians, warning an intervention as he cited the strength of Turkish defense
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lashed out at the murderous administration of Israel as the death toll in the latter’s massacres in Gaza climbs.
Addressing members of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in his hometown, Rize, on Sunday, Erdoğan pointed out his country’s strengthened defense industry, adding: “If (we) get stronger, Israel cannot do what it is doing in Palestine now. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them,” Erdoğan stated.
“There is no reason why we cannot do this. We must be strong so that we can take these steps,” Erdoğan said.
The president was referring to Türkiye’s military deployment in 2020 to the North African country and staunch support for Azerbaijan as the latter fought a war to take back Karabakh occupied by Armenians.
Erdoğan cited how Türkiye cut off commercial ties with Israel as he summed up Türkiye’s actions to stop Israel.
He also discussed Türkiye’s invitation to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which he mentioned in another speech in Rize last week. An opposition lawmaker has called on the government to invite Abbas to make a speech at the Turkish Parliament, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did at the U.S. Congress. “Abbas unfortunately did not accept the invitation. So, we are going to take our steps accordingly,” Erdoğan, who earlier called on the Palestinian leader to apologize about the issue.
Erdogan may repeat the fate of Saddam Hussein: Israeli Foreign Minister
Shortly after Erdogan’s speech, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X that the Turkish president was “following in the footsteps” of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein by threatening to attack Israel.
“Just let him remember what happened there and how it ended,” he wrote in reference to the Iraqi president’s infamous 2003 capture by United States forces while hiding in a hole in the ground near a farmhouse in Tikrit. Hussein was later executed.
Compares Netanyahu to Hitler, threatens more than a trade ban
In retaliation, Turkey – not for the first time – compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.
“Just as genocidal Hitler ended, so will genocidal Netanyahu,” said the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Just as the genocidal Nazis were held accountable, so will those who try to destroy the Palestinians,” the post continued. “Humanity will stand by the Palestinians. You will not be able to destroy the Palestinians.”
‘Humanity’s conscience’
Erdogan, who has consistently issued strong rhetoric during Israel’s 10-month war in Gaza, made the suggestion that Turkey could intervene militarily in a speech to his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on Sunday.
“We need to be very strong so that Israel cannot do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just as we entered Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we can do something similar to them,” he said.
Turkey, which backs the Tripoli-based government of Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, in 2020 sent soldiers to the fractured North African country to support its United Nations-backed administration.
In the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, over which Ankara ally Azerbaijan has fought for decades against Armenia, Turkey has denied engaging in any direct military operations.
But it has pledged support for Azerbaijan with “all means”, which has included military training and modernisation, along with the provision of advanced combat drones and other military equipment.
In a post on X on Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan boasted that Erdogan “has become the voice of humanity’s conscience”.
“International Zionist circles, especially Israel, who want to suppress this righteous voice, are in great alarm,” he wrote. “History ended the same way for all genociders and their supporters.”
Turkey restricted some exports to Israel in April – six months into the war on Gaza – and said it halted trade with Israel altogether in early May.
Israel said it would scrap the country’s free trade agreement with Turkey in retaliation, with Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich signalling the move is reversible when Erdogan is replaced by a leader who is “sane and not a hater of Israel”.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND DAILY SABAH
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