ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Benjamin Netanyahu of “following the path of Hitler” on Thursday after the Israeli leader alleged he was an “antisemitic dictator” who had committed a “genocide” against the Kurds.
The relationship between Israel and Turkiye has nosedived since the Gaza war started in October 2023, with the pair regularly trading allegations of genocide and public insults.
The latest exchange erupted after Erdogan on Wednesday said Israel’s actions in Lebanon and Syria were a threat to Turkish security.
“Turkiye’s security doesn’t just start in (its southernmost province of) Hatay, it begins in Aleppo, in Damascus and in Beirut,” he said, warning Turkiye “will not tolerate any fait accompli in our neighboring countries” — in what was understood to mean Israel creating new irreversible realities on the ground.
Netanyahu hit back, pledging to continue military action wherever needed to deal with the security threat from Iran and its proxies.
