Foreign Minister Fidan: Turkey is Israel's Next War Target
Tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv have reached a new boiling point. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned on Monday that Israel might position Ankara as the next enemy after Iran.
He stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot sustain himself politically without a new enemy and noted that Turkey’s role in the region has made it a target of Israeli pressure.
Fidan made the remarks to Anadolu Agency in response to Netanyahu’s recent targeting of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“Netanyahu has a complicated stance towards Erdogan and cannot digest it. Turkey’s balancing efforts have placed the region at a point where Israel cannot bring down Turkey. This situation is driving them into instability,” Fidan said.
He added that Israel’s regional policies are highly at odds with Turkey’s policies in various fields.
“If viewed from the perspective of Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon, the extremist policies promoted by Israel are in stark contrast to Türkiye. That is why they are targeting Turkey. Erdogan’s leadership in the world order and the scope of Turkey’s influence are obstructing the illusions that Israel is trying to build,” he said.
Fidan then issued his sharpest warning, stating, “After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy. We see that Netanyahu may be trying to establish Turkey as the new enemy.”
Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Defence released photos of President Erdogan’s visit to a military facility on Monday. The photos were released amid the heating up of verbal exchanges between Turkish and Israeli sides.
The ministry attached the images to a tweet reading, “Here, everyone has a voice until we speak… and history is the best witness.”
The images show Erdogan leading a group of civilian and military officials, while a soldier salutes him. The protocol scene reflects the symbolism of leadership and discipline in Turkey’s military institutions.
The publication of the photos coincides with rising tensions between the two countries, following verbal attacks launched by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some of his ministers against Erdogan. The attacks were in response to Ankara’s announcement to prepare charges against 35 Israeli citizens, including Netanyahu, in connection with the targeting of the “Global Freedom Flotilla” that aimed to break the siege in the Gaza Strip.