‘Turkey can invade and conquer Israel,’ threatens Erdogan

By World Israel News Staff

Turkey could invade Israel in order to stop Jerusalem’s military campaign against Hamas, claimed Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an unprecedented statement on Sunday.

“We must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these…things to Palestine,” Erodgan said at a meeting of his AK party held in Rize, Turkey.

“Just like we entered Karabakh [Azerbaijan], just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them,” Erdogan said in the televised discussion.

“There is no reason why we cannot do this … We must be strong so that we can take these steps.”

Late Sunday evening, Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to Erdogan’s comments.

“Erdogan is following in the footsteps of [Iraqi despot] Saddam Hussein by threatening to attack Israel,” wrote Katz on social media platform X.

“He should remember how that turned out and how it ended.”

But rather than turn down the flames, Erdogan released an additional fiery statement just hours after the threat, which equated the Israeli premier with Adolf Hitler.

“Just as the genocidal Hitler met his end, so will the genocidal Netanyahu,” read an official media release from Erdogan’s office.

“Those who tried to eliminate the Palestinians will be held accountable, just like the genocidal Nazis. Humanity will stand with the Palestinians. You will not be able to eliminate the Palestinians.”

Erdogan has a long history of making antisemitic incendiary remarks about the Jewish State, though the threat to invade Israel marks a new low in relations between Jerusalem and Ankara.

“Israel is not just a threat to Gaza but to all of humanity,” Erdogan said in May 2024, adding “no state is safe unless Israel is made to abide by international law.”

“Zionism is being unmasked all over the world. Young people are beginning to see how Zionism is an unlawful perversion, and I hope this revolution will free the world from the Zionist perversion.”