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.
