Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz is calling on NATO to expel Turkey from the alliance after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to "enter Israel like they did before in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh".
The Times of Israel writes about it.
"In light of Turkish President Erdogan’s threats to invade Israel and his dangerous rhetoric, Foreign Minister Israel Katz instructed diplomats… to urgently engage with all NATO members, calling for the condemnation of Turkey and demanding its expulsion from the regional alliance," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Turkey joined NATO in 1952 and has the second largest army among the member countries. At the same time, NATO does not have a special mechanism for excluding a member state, but Article 13 of the North Atlantic Treaty gives the right to states to withdraw from the Alliance. To do this, the country must inform the US about it, and they must inform the rest of the states.
In 2021, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg rejected the possibility of creating a mechanism to exclude a member state from the Alliance.
What preceded
On July 28, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey could "enter Israel, as it did before in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh." He did not specify exactly what type of intervention is involved.
"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 noted.
Apparently, Erdogan was referring to Turkeyʼs past military operations. In 2020, Turkey sent its military to Libya in support of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord. At the same time, Turkey previously denied any direct participation in Azerbaijanʼs military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Turkish-Israeli relations
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, called Hamas militants "liberators" and added that Turkey is ready to become a guarantor of the Palestinian side. Subsequently, Turkey and Israel recalled their ambassadors.
In April 2024, Turkey and Israel informed about mutual trade restrictions amid worsening relations over the Gaza war.