Turkish president warns of possible military action against Israel
Tensions are rising between Israel and Lebanon. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested that Ankara may consider using military force against Israel. He stated that Turkey does not rule out intervention "if necessary."
4:49 PM EDT, July 29, 2024
On Sunday, Erdogan spoke in Rize, his hometown. The Turkish leader emphasized that his country should show strength in the face of Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip.
"We need to be very strong so that Israel cannot do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just as we entered Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we can do something similar to them," he said.
"If this rouge terrorist state of Israel is not stopped, it will set its eyes on Anatolia with its delusion of a promised land?" asked the Turkish leader. Anatolia is part of Turkey.
Erdogan threatens Israel
In the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, as Erdogan mentioned, Turkey played an important role. Ankara provided military drones to Azerbaijani forces fighting Armenia.
During the civil war in Libya in 2020, Turkey helped the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli repel an offensive by warlord Khalifa Haftar's forces, which were supported by Russian mercenaries.
Turkish-Israeli relations have deteriorated sharply following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in early October 2023. In response to accusations of war crimes by Israel, the Israeli Foreign Ministry recalled some of its diplomats from Ankara. Turkey called its ambassador in Tel Aviv back for consultations.
