Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the destruction of Gaza, warning that Muslims may soon teach him a “lesson.”
Erdogan made the remarks during Eid al-Adha celebrations in his hometown of Rize, where he called for Muslim unity and putting pressure on Israel.
“What is happening in Palestine, in Gaza, gives us a special stance, a special vigil this Eid. God willing, this tyrant Netanyahu will soon learn the lesson he deserves from the Muslims of the world,” he said, according to Anadolu news agency.
The comments came days after Israel detained hundreds of activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla, which had departed from Türkiye carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestinian campaigners seeking to challenge Israel’s blockade of the enclave.
Erdogan branded the interception “piracy and banditry.”
Ankara has sought to support Palestinians with humanitarian aid, diplomatic lobbying, ceasefire initiatives, and legal efforts related to Gaza.
Erdogan has been among the most vocal critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since it began in 2023, accusing Israel of “genocide” and “state terrorism” against Palestinians, while comparing the Israeli government to Nazis at times.
In July of 2024, ten months into the conflict, Erdogan said Türkiye could act against Israel “just like” it did in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, which was widely interpreted by Israeli media and officials as a threat of military intervention.
Israeli officials have increasingly portrayed Türkiye as a regional threat. Following Erdogan’s 2024 remarks, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz compared the Turkish leader to Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, warning him to “remember what happened there and how it ended.”
Earlier this year, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Turkey could become Israel’s leading regional adversary, making it the “next Iran.”
Turkish political analyst Kerim Has described the escalating rhetoric between Turkish and Israeli leaders as “a theatrical performance” aimed at distracting domestic audiences from internal problems.
Has also pointed to the economic links between the two countries, noting that Türkiye provides transit for Azerbaijani oil to Israel, which reportedly meets up 60% of the Jewish state’s crude oil needs.