Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is escalating his rhetoric against Israel, suggesting Turkey could intervene on behalf of Palestinians, possibly with military support, in ways similar to what it has done in other conflicts.
"We must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these things to Palestine,” Erdogan said in his hometown of Rize on Sunday. "Just as we entered Karabakh and Libya, we might do the same here. There is nothing we cannot do. We must be very strong.”
Erdogan spoke vaguely and made no indication that he was considering any direct military operations in the Israel-Gaza war.
Still, his remarks underscore the growing hostility with Israel and could cause volatility in Turkey’s financial markets this week.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to Erdogan’s comments in a post on X.
"Erdogan follows in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein and threatens to attack Israel. Just let him remember what happened there and how it ended,” he wrote.
Turkey intervened in the Libyan civil war to support the United Nations-recognized government and supported Azerbaijan against Armenia by supplying arms and conducting joint military drills during the Nagorno-Karabakh war.
It also has troops other areas it considers in its interests, including Iraq and Syria.
In the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Erdogan has recalled Turkey’s ambassador and suspended trade with Israel, and also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing genocide.
Turkey has also been sending humanitarian aid to Gaza and facilitating medical treatment for those injured in the conflict by allowing them to receive care in Turkey.
Before the war, Turkey and Israel had been working to normalize their relations after a decade of tensions.