This Time Tensions Flare Between Israel and Türkiye, With Even a Break in Ties Mentioned

Financial News reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Republic of Türkiye has warned Israel that he could take military action, just as he did in the past in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Libyan civil war. In response, Israel has denounced Erdoğan as a "tyrant dreaming of becoming an Ottoman sultan" and even floated cutting diplomatic ties, sending tensions between the two countries to a peak.
On the 12th (local time), The Jerusalem Post reported that in a speech at the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) held in Istanbul, President Erdoğan fiercely condemned Israel as a "bloody genocidal network that kills innocent children and women." He went on to say, "Just as we went into Nagorno-Karabakh and Libya, we can do the same in Israel. There is no reason we cannot do it."
In a follow-up exchange with reporters, he further escalated his rhetoric, declaring, "We must become strong enough to prevent Israel from doing such things to Palestine."
His remarks were understood as a reference to how the Republic of Türkiye sent drones and military advisers to the Republic of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, and to Libya’s civil war, changing the course of those battles. Observers see this as a signal that Türkiye could, if necessary, consider direct military action against Israel as well.
The Israeli government reacted immediately. Amihai Eliyahu, Minister of Heritage of Israel, lashed out at Erdoğan, calling him "a pathetic tyrant whose economy is collapsing and who is lost in nationalist delusions."
Minister Eliyahu retorted, "Does the Republic of Türkiye, which occupies the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and suppresses the Kurds, have any right to lecture others on morality?" He announced that he would submit a proposal to the Israeli government to completely sever diplomatic relations with Türkiye. He also escalated the provocation by sharing an image, apparently edited with artificial intelligence (AI), showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planting a flag on the Temple Mount while Erdoğan lies prostrate at his feet.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also took to social media, criticizing Erdoğan as "a man who massacred his own Kurdish citizens." Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir posted an image with the caption, "Erdoğan, do you understand English? Fuck you," confronting him in crude terms.
In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye fired back, calling Netanyahu "the Adolf Hitler of our time."
The immediate trigger for the latest clash was a decision on the 11th by a Turkish court to indict Prime Minister Netanyahu and 35 other senior Israeli officials and to issue arrest warrants for them.
They are accused over the seizure in international waters, in October 2025, of an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip that carried environmental activist Greta Thunberg and others. Turkish prosecutors have defined the incident as a "military operation against civilians" and are seeking lengthy prison sentences.

jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-joon Reporter