Erdogan: Turkey can invade Israel

Turkey’s president says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “blinded by blood and hatred,” warns the Turkish military can invade Israel.

By World Israel News Staff

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the weekend escalated his rhetoric against Israel, saying Ankara would have “shown Israel its place” if Pakistan had not been mediating between Washington and Tehran, and threatening to invade Israel.

The remarks came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Erdogan of massacring Kurdish civilians, in response to Ankara backing indictments filed by Turkish prosecutors against dozens of senior Israeli officials, including Netanyahu.

Speaking at a political event on Sunday, Erdogan accused Netanyahu of being “blinded by blood and hatred.”

He added that if US-Iran diplomacy had not been underway, Turkey would have acted more forcefully against Israel, hinting at a possible invasion.

“On the day of the ceasefire, Israel killed hundreds of innocent Lebanese people. Netanyahu is blinded by blood and hatred. Had Pakistan not been mediating in the war between the US and Iran, we would have shown Israel its place,” Erdogan said.

“Just as we entered Libya and Karabakh, we can enter Israel. There is no reason not to do it. It will require strength and unity.”

A day earlier, Netanyahu slammed Erdogan after Ankara backed an indictment by Istanbul prosecutors calling for Netanyahu to be sentenced to life imprisonment plus 4,596 years.

“Israel under my leadership will continue to fight Iran’s terror regime and its proxies, unlike Erdogan, who accommodates them and massacred his own Kurdish citizens,” Netanyahu wrote on X.

This is not the first time Erdogan has hinted at a possible direct military confrontation with Israel.

In July 2024, the Turkish leader said Turkey “might enter Israel” just as it had entered Libya and supported Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, though he did not spell out what kind of intervention he meant.

Israel responded by urging NATO to condemn Turkey and consider steps against Ankara over what Israeli officials called a dangerous threat.