Erdogan: Turkey can enter Israel to help Palestinians

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey could "enter Israel, as it did before in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh." He did not specify what kind of intervention he was talking about.

Erdogan said this at a meeting of the pro-government Justice and Development Party in the Turkish city of Rize, Reuters reports.

During the speech, Erdogan mentioned Turkeyʼs successes in the defense industry. According to him, Turkey must be "very strong" so that Israel cannot put pressure on Palestine.

"Just like we entered [Nagorno] Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we can do the same with them [Israel]. There is no reason why we cannot do it... We must be strong so that we can take these steps,” Erdogan said.

Reuters notes that Erdogan was apparently referring to Turkeyʼs past military operations. In 2020, Turkey sent its military to Libya in support of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord.

Meanwhile, Turkey has denied any direct involvement in Azerbaijanʼs military operations in Nagorno-Karabash, but said last year it was using "all means," including military training and modernization, to support its close ally.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel Israel Katz then stated that "Erdogan is following the path of Saddam Hussein and threatening to attack Israel," so "he needs to be reminded of how it ended."

What preceded

In 2022, Israel and Turkey restored full diplomatic relations. Their cooling has continued since 2010, when the Turkish "freedom flotilla" tried to break through the sea blockade of the Gaza Strip, but was stopped by Israeli special forces. Then 9 Turkish activists died.

Tensions between Israel and Turkey resumed after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 and the start of the IDF ground operation in the Gaza Strip.

After that, Turkish President Recep Erdogan canceled a planned trip to Israel and called Hamas militants "liberators". He stated that "Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but a liberation group of fighters who defend their lands and citizens." Erdogan added that Turkey is ready to become a guarantor of the Palestinian side, and he invited the countries to organize the International Palestinian-Israeli Peace Conference. Subsequently, Turkey and Israel recalled their ambassadors.

In April 2024, Turkey and Israel announced mutual trade restrictions amid worsening relations over the Gaza war.