Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a rare threat to invade Israel over the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Erdogan stated that Türkiye could potentially “enter” Israel in response to the ongoing conflict between West Jerusalem and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The president made this statement on Sunday during a rally for his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“We must be very strong so that Israel cannot strike Palestine,” Erdogan declared. “Just like we entered Karabakh and the way we entered Libya, maybe we’ll do the same thing. There’s nothing we can’t do. We have to be strong.”
Erdogan’s remarks refer to Türkiye’s active involvement in the Libyan civil war, as well as the recent hostilities in the Azerbaijani region of Karabakh. Baku, which emerged victorious in the conflict and regained control over the breakaway region, has received support from both Israel and Türkiye. However, there have been no previous reports of Ankara’s troops directly participating in the Karabakh hostilities.
Although Erdogan has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, he has largely refrained from threatening a direct invasion of Israel.
Erdogan’s hostile remarks come amidst escalating tensions between Israel and the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah. West Jerusalem and Hezbollah have been engaged in intense warfare for months, stemming from the Gaza conflict. The situation now risks spiraling into an all-out war.
On Saturday, Israel accused Hezbollah of launching a rocket that struck a football field in Israeli-occupied Syria’s Golan Heights. The projectile killed at least 12 teenagers and children, primarily of Syrian Druze origin, and injured approximately 20 others. Hezbollah has vehemently denied any involvement, claiming the location was actually hit by a malfunctioning Israeli Iron Dome interceptor missile.