Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan characterized Israeli military operations across Syria and Lebanon as a direct threat to Turkey on Wednesday, Reuters reported, with the Turkish leader declaring Israel's "aggression" endangered the entire world and demanding an immediate halt by the international community.
Convening before the Turkish legislature, Erdoğan cast Israel as the architect of a broader scheme to destabilize the Mediterranean, warning that "nobody should chase adventures" or enlist in Israel's "boat of mischief." Should any party move against the interests of Turkish nationals or Turkish Cypriots, Erdoğan made plain, Ankara stood ready to deliver a response both clear and strong.
These comments follow a recent statement by Turkey's interior minister, who declared Saturday that Ankara would one day "liberate" Jerusalem, pledging to restore Turkish dominion over a city governed by the Ottoman Empire for centuries. Israel's Foreign Ministry fired back sharply, asserting that the "Ottoman Empire is gone" and that Jerusalem "shall remain the eternal capital of Israel."
Erdoğan added that "Damascus and Beirut are two sister cities of Istanbul. Turkey's security begins in Aleppo, in Damascus, and in Beirut." The Turkish president further stated that "we will not tolerate any fait accompli in the lands of our brothers, and we will not turn a blind eye to any attack against our brothers." He attacked Israel, claiming, "These people and their mercenaries go around throwing so-called threats at Turkey here and there. There is no need for you to say this – we know your intentions and your targets very well. We are fully aware of what the ultimate goal of the 'Promised Land' delusion is, and with God's help, we will never allow it."
Erdoğan warned that the consequences of Israel's policies would spread beyond the region: "Just as the entire world is paying today for the unresolved situation in Hormuz, if Israel's rampaging is not stopped, the price will be paid – together with the region – by all of humanity."
Erdoğan also issued threats against Greece and Cyprus against the backdrop of those countries' deepening ties with Israel. "We see that there are those who seek to ignite a fire in the Eastern Mediterranean, and especially on the island of Cyprus. Small entities, whose ambitions far exceed their stature, have boarded Israel's boat of conflict and taken on the role of proxies for Zionism. They are chasing delusional dreams in the Eastern Mediterranean. I say this clearly: let no one be dragged along by the Zionist massacre gang. If the rights of Turkey and of Turks in Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean are harmed, our response will be clear and very strong."
The Turkish president again compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. "Israel, which is carrying out the bloodiest genocide in the history of humanity, simultaneously attacked Iran and, not content with that, also began the occupation of Lebanon," he said. "85 years ago, silence in the face of Hitler led to the loss of 80 million lives. Today the same mistake is being repeated: the genocide of the Gaza butcher Netanyahu and his cabinet is also being watched in great silence, exactly as was done with Hitler."
In his speech, Erdoğan also addressed the NATO summit to be held in Ankara on July 7–8, welcoming the announcement that US President Donald Trump would attend. "The announcement of US President Trump's participation in the summit was a valuable step in terms of NATO alliance cohesion," he said. "Not only among the allies, but also around the world, there is great interest in the Ankara summit."
