Speaking to his ruling party in his hometown of Rize on July 28, 2024, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to intervene militarily in Israel. “We should be very strong, so that Israel cannot do this stuff to Palestine,” Erdogan said. “Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we can do similar to them,” he promised. Israeli officials responded angrily. After Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz suggested Erdogan’s comments were akin to late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s, the Turkish Foreign Ministry doubled down. “Just as the genocidal Hitler met his end, so will the genocidal Netanyahu,” it tweeted.
Many Israeli academics and analysts seek to contextualize the threats. Generally, they, alongside many American analysts, downplay Erdogan’s threats. Erdogan is prone to polemic, still trades with Israel, and maintains a Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv. Erdogan is also under fire from his own base for his ineffectiveness. Meanwhile, the Turkish lira continues to hemorrhage value and inflation chafes at ordinary Turks.
Tensions have been rising between Turkey and Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently made provocative comments suggesting Turkey could militarily intervene against Israel. This has prompted a war of words between the two countries and raised concerns about potential Turkish involvement in the war.
Background of Turkish-Israeli Relations
To understand the current saber-rattling, it’s helpful to look at the history of relations between Turkey and Israel
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Turkey was the first Muslim-majority nation to formally recognize Israel in 1949.
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For decades, the two countries maintained diplomatic, economic, and military ties.
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Relations began deteriorating after Erdogan came to power in 2003 due to his support for Palestinian causes
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In 2010, the Gaza flotilla raid sparked a major diplomatic crisis. Israeli forces killed 10 Turkish activists on a ship trying to break the blockade of Gaza.
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After the raid, Turkey downgraded diplomatic relations and cut defense ties with Israel. Relations improved in 2016 but remained fragile.
Erdogan’s Fiery Rhetoric on Gaza
The latest tensions stem from Erdogan’s strong condemnation of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
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Erdogan has vocally criticized Israel, referring to actions in Gaza as “terrorism” and “occupation.”
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He compared Israel’s Gaza campaign to Nazi Germany’s actions in WWII.
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Erdogan suggested Turkey could militarily intervene against Israel like it has in Syria, Libya, and Azerbaijan.
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He said Turkey is stopping all trade with Israel in solidarity with Palestinians.
Israel’s Responses to Erdogan’s Comments
Israeli officials have hit back hard at Erdogan’s rhetoric:
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Israel accused Erdogan of “following in the footsteps” of Saddam Hussein with threats to attack Israel.
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They compared Erdogan to Hitler for his comments on Israel’s actions in Gaza.
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Israel threatened to scrap the countries’ free trade agreement in retaliation for Turkish trade restrictions.
Likelihood of Turkish Military Intervention
Despite the heated war of words, most experts don’t believe Turkey will actually go to war against Israel.
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Turkey’s threats to intervene militarily are likely more political rhetoric aimed at Erdogan’s domestic base.
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Actually entering the conflict would risk retaliation from Israel and further instability in the region.
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Turkey’s interventions in Syria, Libya, and Azerbaijan involved Turkish interests and allies. Gaza does not have the same implications.
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Turkey still has economic and diplomatic ties with Israel that would be severed by direct conflict.
Moving Forward
While full-scale Turkish military intervention is unlikely, the animosity between Erdogan and Israeli leaders remains high.
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The conflict shows how Turkish-Israeli relations have deteriorated under Erdogan’s leadership.
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Israel is alarmed by Turkey’s staunch support for Hamas in Gaza.
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Unless tensions cool, the two nations seem poised for more verbal clashes in the future.
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Diplomatic efforts may be needed to prevent further drifting of the once strong Turkey-Israel relationship.
The war of words highlights the complex dynamics at play between these two regional powers during the ongoing violence. Unless there is meaningful de-escalation, political rhetoric could continue overshadowing relations.
Frequency of Entities:
Turkey: 14
Israel: 14
Erdogan: 10
Gaza: 9
Turkey’s: 4
Israeli: 7
What to Make of Erdogan’s Israel Threat?
Still, it may be a mistake not to take Erdogan at his word. Erdogan makes no secrecy of his anti-Semitism or his hatred of the Jewish state. He welcomed Hamas to Ankara more than 18 years ago and has since bestowed the group with diplomatic passports to ease their movement, allowed them access to Turkish banks, provided them with intelligence, and even allowed them to plan terrorist operations from Turkish soil. Erdogan has long allowed neo-Ottomanism, the belief that he might leverage Ottoman history to restore Turkey’s influence across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Balkans, to color his thinking. To date, his neo-Ottoman ambitions failed for the simple reason that Turks have a much fonder remembrance of the Ottoman Empire than its subject peoples do. Erdogan especially seeks to restore Turkish influence over Jerusalem and its Islamic holy sites and believes that Palestinians and Arabs would fall in line to answer his call. American policymakers should never forget that ideology can be a drug that clouds judgment and enables delusions of grandeur.
Turkey might enter Israel to help Palestinians: Erdogan
FAQ
Who is Israel still at war with?
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Date
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Late 19th / early 20th century – present
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Location
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Israel Occupied Palestinian Territory
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Status
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Ongoing Israeli–Palestinian peace process (halted) Gaza–Israel conflict (intermittent)
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Territorial changes
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show 1948–1967: show Since 1967:
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