Israel Will 'Set Sights' On Turkey If Hamas Defeated, Erdogan Claims
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on 15 May that Israel would "target" Turkey if victorious against the Hamas and other Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
"Israel will not stop in Gaza, and if not stopped, this rogue state will eventually target Anatolia with its delusions of a promised land," Erdogan said during a parliamentary group meeting in Ankara. "We will continue to stand by Hamas, which fights for the independence of its own land and which defends Anatolia," the Turkish president stressed.
"On Nakba, the Day of Catastrophe, we once again declare with all our being and resources that we stand by Palestine and the Palestinian cause … We will also ensure that the perpetrators of genocide face justice," Erdogan added.
For the past several months, the Turkish president has harshly criticized Israeli authorities, accusing them of overseeing ongoing genocide in Gaza. However, his actions trailed far behind his words, as it took over six months for Ankara to end its highly lucrative trade ties with Israel.
Days after announcing a trade freeze, the Turkish government partially walked back its decision by issuing temporary approval for the supply of construction materials to Israel. Ankara has also refrained from obstructing the flow of oil from neighboring Azerbaijan to Israel.
For its part, Tel Aviv has been quietly returning diplomats to Turkey in recent weeks after withdrawing them months ago over "security concerns."
Nevertheless, Turkish officials continue to send mixed signals, as earlier this week, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his country decided to submit its declaration of official intervention in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
"Israel systematically killing thousands of innocent Palestinians and rendering a whole residential area uninhabitable is a crime against humanity, attempted genocide, and the manifestation of genocide," Fidan told reporters.