Israeli officials were outraged on Wednesday by the words of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said that "Hamas is not a terrorist organization" but rather "a liberation group fighting to protect its lands."
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A senior Israeli official told Ynet that Erdogan's could be interpreted as condoning the killing of Jews. "According to Ergodgan’s reading of Islam, killing Jews is acceptable, and Hamas is a completely legitimate organization," they said.
The Foreign Ministry later released a statement reading, "Israel strongly condemns the Turkish President’s severe remarks about the Hamas terrorist organization. Hamas is a despicable terrorist organization that ruthlessly and intentionally murders babies, children, women, and the elderly, abducts civilians, and uses its own people as human shields. Erdogan’s attempt to defend a terrorist organization and his inflammatory statements won’t change the horrors seen by the world that proves Hamas is ISIS."
The Foreign Ministry slapped down Erdogan's comments. "Israel wholeheartedly rejects the Turkish President’s harsh words about the terrorist organization Hamas," the ministry's spokesperson Lior Haiat wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
"Hamas is a despicable terrorist organization worse than ISIS that brutally and intentionally murders babies, children, women and the elderly, takes civilians hostage and uses its own people as human shields. Even the Turkish president's attempt to defend the terrorist organization and his inciting words will not change the horrors that the whole world has seen and the unequivocal fact: Hamas = ISIS"
A year after Israel and Turkey thawed diplomatic relations following years of strained ties, the two nations appear to be on the brink of another diplomatic rift. Israel is preparing for this potential crisis, prompted by several remarks Erdogan has made since the onset of the war and concerns for the safety of Israeli nationals in Turkey.
Last week, all staff from Israel's embassy in Ankara and the consulate in Istanbul returned home. For several days, no Israeli diplomat has been in the country. This decision was driven both by concerns for their safety and the wish to preempt any potential provocations by Erdogan, such as expelling the Israeli diplomats from Turkey.
Since the outbreak of the war against Hamas, Erdogan has used every opportunity to condemn Israel’s actions. He claimed that Israel is acting like an organization and not a state, and has accused the IDF of employing "disgraceful" fighting tactics.
Turkish Deputy Education Minister Nazif Yilmaz, a member of Erdogan's party, attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a social media post in response to a video that the Israeli leader shared about the IDF’s airstrikes in Gaza. "One day they will shoot you too, you will die," the Turkish official wrote.
Meanwhile, Erdogan is escalating his rhetoric. In a speech to members of his party in parliament, he announced he was canceling his planned visit to Israel. Erdogan's son-in-law, Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, who was supposed to arrive in Israel in November, also announced the cancellation of his visit.
In his speech, the Turkish President added, "We have no issue with Israel, but we have problems with its policy against the Palestinians. Israel has taken advantage of Turkey's good intentions; I will not visit it as was planned.”
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Pro-Palestinian protests outside the Israeli embassy in Turkey
(Photo: Reuters /Dilara Senkaya)
Erdogan called for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and said that Muslim countries should work together for lasting peace. He urged Israel to "listen to calls for peace" and added, "We will use all political, diplomatic and military means as needed."
According to him, "Israel must stop its attacks on Gaza, and the attacks on Israeli territory must also cease." Erdogan also called on the international community to "put pressure on Israel to stop the attacks" and appealed to international actors that support Israel, urging them to "stop adding fuel to the fire."
Erdogan also added that the Rafah border crossing should be left open permanently to allow for the passage of humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying that prisoner exchange deals should also be agreed upon posthaste.
Israeli officials estimate that Erdogan serves as a patron of Hamas and is frustrated that Qatar acts as the chief mediator for potential prisoner swap deals, which he instructed his government to try and spearhead.
A senior Israeli official said, "We’re experiencing a diplomatic crisis with Turkey. Erdogan’s remarks are very harsh, including the news on the suspension of energy cooperation between the countries. This, of course, stems from the fact that Turkey and Qatar are the only two countries where the Muslim Brotherhood is in power. For them, Hamas is perfectly fine.”