Erdogan: Israeli Aggression into Lebanon and Syria Threatens Turkiye, Must Be Stopped

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Israeli attacks on Syria and Lebanon have reached a point where they also threaten Turkiye, adding that Israel’s ‘aggression’ is a threat to the entire world and must be stopped.

Turkiye, a NATO member, has been one of the harshest critics of Israeli attacks on Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon, saying Israel is the biggest obstacle to regional peace. The country has halted all trade with Israel and called for action against it in international courts.

‘The attacks carried out by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and his new murderous gang against Lebanon and Syria have brought the issue to a point that also threatens Turkiye,’ Erdogan told lawmakers from his ruling AK Party in parliament.

He stressed that Ankara’s security is linked to the security of both countries. Erdogan also said Israel is leading a ‘insidious effort’ to destabilise African and Mediterranean countries by igniting the ‘flames of discord’ on the ethnically split island of Cyprus.

‘This tiny entity, whose ambitions far exceed its size, has jumped on Israel’s boat of evil, assuming the role of a Zionist subcontractor and chasing dreams in the Eastern Mediterranean,’ he said, without providing further details.

‘No one should pursue regional adventurism… I want everyone to know that if the rights of Turkiye and Turkish Cypriots are violated in the Eastern Mediterranean, our response will be very clear and very strong.’

Turkiye, a neighbour of Iran, blames Israeli ‘provocations’ for initiating a US-Iran war. Erdogan on Wednesday urged world nations to take a clearer stance against Israel, saying it is becoming increasingly emboldened due to ‘the silence of the international community’.

‘Bringing Israel back within the boundaries of the rule of law has become a shared duty not only for certain nations, but for all of humanity,’ he said.