Erdogan threatens Israel with military force: escalation of rhetoric between Ankara and Jerusalem

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made a sharp statement regarding the possibility of using military force against Israel, comparing the potential actions with Turkey’s operations in Nagorno-Karabakh and Libya. This is reported by The Jerusalem Post.

In his statement, the Turkish leader harshly criticized Israel’s actions in the territories of Palestine and Lebanon, calling them “barbaric” and violating basic humanitarian principles. Erdogan stressed that Ankara must have sufficient military potential to counter Israeli policies, emphasizing that similar scenarios have already been implemented by Turkey in other regions.

Separately, the Turkish president accused Israel of creating a “system of genocide” and criticized legislative initiatives to introduce the death penalty for terrorists, suggesting the possibility of their selective application against Palestinians.

In response, official Jerusalem reacted sharply to these statements. Israeli Minister of Cultural Heritage Amichai Eliyahu called Erdogan’s words a manifestation of “imperial ambitions”, characterizing him as a “megalomaniac” and a “tyrant”.

The Israeli side also rejected the accusations of genocide, emphasizing the controversial aspects of Turkey’s own foreign policy. In particular, Ankara’s control over Northern Cyprus and its actions towards Kurdish territories were mentioned.

In addition, the Israeli minister announced his intention to initiate consideration of the issue of completely severing diplomatic relations with Turkey, which may indicate a further aggravation of relations between the two states.