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Türkiye, Israel Trade Heated Accusations as Tensions Mount

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Turkish Presidency)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Turkish Presidency)
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Türkiye, Israel Trade Heated Accusations as Tensions Mount

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Turkish Presidency)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Turkish Presidency)

Tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv continue to mount with Israel accusing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of “antisemitism.”

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said the “lies and slanders” targeting Erdogan reflected the “cowardly and corrupt mentality” of Israeli government officials, foremost among them Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Responding to an Israeli Foreign Ministry statement describing Erdogan as one of the “fiercest antisemites”, the ministry said Netanyahu and his “criminal gang” were beginning to lose their political and legal immunity after bringing “historic shame” upon the Israeli people by “committing genocide” in Gaza.

It also accused them of being chiefly responsible for regional and global instability by displaying “expansionism unprecedented in the modern history of the Middle East.”

Accusations

The Turkish Foreign Ministry statement, posted on X, said efforts by Israeli institutions “operating in a manner resembling the propaganda machine of Nazi Germany’s propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels” were no longer effective, stressing that the “international community no longer believed the Netanyahu government’s lies.”

It added that Türkiye, under Erdogan’s leadership, had taken a “sincere and resolute stand against crimes committed during Netanyahu’s tenure and would continue to defend and speak out for the truth”.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused Erdogan of antisemitism, saying: “Every few days, Erdogan seeks to escalate his wild incitement against the Jewish state in order to divert attention from his actions against his own people and the region.”

“He has destroyed Turkish democracy, imprisoned his political opponents, hosted and supported Hamas, and invaded neighboring countries. Like the most virulent antisemites in history, he tries to spread baseless blood libels to divert attention from his disgraceful actions,” it said.

Support for Gaza

In response, Turkish Presidency Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran said Erdogan would continue to defend the Palestinian people’s just cause, describing the Israeli statement as “an example of a mentality that resorts to slander and propaganda instead of confronting the facts.”

“As they always do, they are trying to hide behind the concept of ‘antisemitism’ to cover up their aggression, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Duran said.

He added that Türkiye categorically opposed occupation, oppression, massacres and policies that disregard international law, and that Erdogan would continue to defend the Palestinian cause, be the voice of the oppressed in Gaza and work to support regional stability.

In a Sunday message marking the 104th anniversary of Victory Day on August 30, without naming Israel or its government, Erdogan said: “Despite the provocations of those who feed on instability, Türkiye, as a state and a nation, will continue to defend truth, justice, peace and stability.”

He added that Türkiye, which strives to prevent injustice regardless of its source and stand with the oppressed regardless of their identity, does not hesitate to pay the price when necessary.

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World

100 Leading Israeli Thinkers Warn of ‘Internal Collapse’

An Israeli boy holds a toy gun in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron in March 2024 (AFP) 
An Israeli boy holds a toy gun in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron in March 2024 (AFP) 
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100 Leading Israeli Thinkers Warn of ‘Internal Collapse’

An Israeli boy holds a toy gun in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron in March 2024 (AFP) 
An Israeli boy holds a toy gun in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron in March 2024 (AFP) 

One hundred prominent Israeli thinkers, researchers and former officials have warned that Israel faces a critical choice: become a major power or risk collapse, arguing that while the country has the potential to achieve greater regional influence, its “foundations are rusting.”

The warning emerged from an in-depth study by MIND Israel, a nonpartisan organization specializing in foreign and security strategy. Maariv reported Sunday that the research identified another type of danger alongside external security threats: an existential threat from within.

“If we do not address these foundations, not only will we fail to become a major power, but the entire structure will collapse,” warned Dr. Avner Golov, MIND Israel’s vice president.

The study, involving 100 experts, identified six critical issues requiring urgent decisions: Israel’s regional standing, the quality of its human capital, the relationship between the economy and security, governance and national resilience, demographic changes, and relations with the United States.

MIND Israel President Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin noted that the organization intends to present the issues to the public ahead of elections in late October and encourage voters to question party leaders about them.

Presenting the research, Golov explained that the researchers’ review of history found that civilizations tend not to be destroyed from outside while they remain strong internally.

“Internal processes dismantle them,” he added, citing declining social cohesion, erosion of trust in state institutions, the prioritization of short-term political gains over long-term national interests and an inability to adapt.

Contrasting views

Golov outlined two opposing assessments encountered by the researchers. One held that Israel had survived a global pandemic, social upheaval, the Oct. 7 attack and its aftermath while maintaining a resilient economy, technological leadership and strong security capabilities — evidence, in that view, that the country was moving toward becoming a major power.

The other argued that a process of collapse had already begun, driven by an identity crisis, declining governance and a political emergency.

“We believe both sides are right,” Golov concluded, arguing that Israel simultaneously faces historic opportunities and serious internal vulnerabilities.

Asked what the public should do with the questions raised by the study, Golov urged voters to look beyond questions of governing coalitions and demand concrete plans from political leaders. Key measures, he maintained, should be taken during a new government’s first 100 days.

Turning to security policy, Golov called for an updated version of Israel’s traditional “Iron Wall” doctrine following Oct. 7.

He argued that Israel could no longer rely solely on containing enemies behind defensive barriers but must seek to shape developments beyond them.

“The wall still needs to be strong, but we cannot rely only on that,” he stressed.

Golov also urged Israel not to depend exclusively on the United States and to strengthen regional relationships.

“Alongside the walls, we need bridges,” he concluded.

World

Iran's Guards Threaten to Hit New Targets if US Attacks

Image from a video published by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of its operations within the naval blockade on Iran.
Image from a video published by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of its operations within the naval blockade on Iran.
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Iran's Guards Threaten to Hit New Targets if US Attacks

Image from a video published by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of its operations within the naval blockade on Iran.
Image from a video published by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of its operations within the naval blockade on Iran.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Monday warned they would attack new targets and deploy new weapons if the US launches further attacks on the country.

Almost seven months into their war, Tehran and Washington remain locked in a stalemate, though neither side appears willing to return to full-scale war, said AFP.

In a statement, a spokesman for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, the ideological arm of Iran's military, said "there will certainly be significant changes in our defense and our counteroffensive" in the event of a new US attack.

"We will introduce new weapons with new capabilities into the battlefield, and the world will be surprised," he said.

"Our targets will not necessarily be the same as before either. We have new targets that have not yet been attacked."

The Guards also said they were prepared for a "prolonged war".

On Saturday, the central command of Iran's military said the US was planning new action against Tehran, according to state television, but it did not elaborate.

Fighting between the US and Iran has eased in recent days after a flare-up at the end of last month, though Tehran continues sporadic attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Both sides are maintaining rival blockades in the waterway in an effort to exert pressure.

World

Explosion Injures 3 South Korean Military Officers in Border Area with North Korea

This handout photo taken on August 4, 2025 and provided by the South Korean Defense Ministry shows South Korean soldiers removing loudspeakers that were set up for propaganda broadcasts near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas in an undisclosed location in South Korea. (Photo by Handout / South Korean Defense Ministry / AFP)
This handout photo taken on August 4, 2025 and provided by the South Korean Defense Ministry shows South Korean soldiers removing loudspeakers that were set up for propaganda broadcasts near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas in an undisclosed location in South Korea. (Photo by Handout / South Korean Defense Ministry / AFP)
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Explosion Injures 3 South Korean Military Officers in Border Area with North Korea

This handout photo taken on August 4, 2025 and provided by the South Korean Defense Ministry shows South Korean soldiers removing loudspeakers that were set up for propaganda broadcasts near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas in an undisclosed location in South Korea. (Photo by Handout / South Korean Defense Ministry / AFP)
This handout photo taken on August 4, 2025 and provided by the South Korean Defense Ministry shows South Korean soldiers removing loudspeakers that were set up for propaganda broadcasts near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas in an undisclosed location in South Korea. (Photo by Handout / South Korean Defense Ministry / AFP)

An explosion near South Korea's heavily fortified border with North Korea injured three South Korean military officers on Monday, South Korea's Defense Ministry said.

The ministry said the explosion occurred during an unspecified operation in the Demilitarized Zone, a border buffer zone separating the two nations that is commonly referred to as the DMZ.

The cause was not immediately clear, the ministry said.

South Korean officials did not say whether it was possible the explosion was caused by a land mine planted by North Korea, which has added mines, anti-tank barriers and other front line fortifications in recent months as relations between the war-divided rivals have sharply deteriorated.

Two of the officers were airlifted from the site by helicopter, while the third was transported by land before being airlifted, according to the ministry. The officers are being treated at a military hospital near the capital Seoul, The Associaqted Press said.

The DMZ, which is 248 kilometers (155 miles) long and 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) wide, is one of the world’s most heavily armed borders. An estimated 2 million mines are peppered inside and near the border, which also is guarded by barbed wire fences, tank traps and combat troops on both sides. The zone is a legacy of the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, which ended with an armistice but not a peace treaty.

There have been growing concerns in South Korea about increased activity by North Korean soldiers near the military demarcation line as the North strengthens its border defenses during prolonged tensions between the countries. The South Korean military has not officially confirmed media reports that North Korean soldiers crossed the MDL more than 20 times during front line operations in August alone.

The South’s military fired warning shots to repel some 10 North Korean soldiers who crossed the military demarcation line at the eastern section of the DMZ in April 2025. The North Korean soldiers retreated after the South broadcast audio warnings and fired the shots and there were no clashes. In June 2024, North Korean troops crossed the border three times, prompting South Korea to fire warning shots.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in recent years has suspended virtually all cooperation and diplomacy with South Korea while declaring Seoul as his most hostile enemy during a stalemate in his larger nuclear negotiations with Washington.

North Korean mines in past years have occasionally washed down a swollen river into South Korea, killing or injuring civilians. In August 2015, land mine blasts maimed two South Korean soldiers and caused tensions between the two Koreas to flare.