Israel FM summons Turkiye ambassador over Erdogan remarks against Netanyahu

Israel’s foreign minister has summoned Turkiye’s ambassador over Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in what represents the latest tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv.

At an election rally this week, Erdogan stated that “We leave a certain person called Netanyahu to our Lord. May God make him miserable.” The comments were in regard to Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip, in which over 31,000 Palestinians have been killed in a genocidal campaign by Israeli occupation forces who claim they are fighting against Hamas.

Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan:

"Netanyahu denilen malum kişiyi Kahhar ismi şerifiyle Rabbimize havale ediyoruz. Rabbimiz kahru perişan eylesin."

— Yeni Şafak (@yenisafak) March 21, 2024

Following the president’s remarks, Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz stated on X that he summoned the Turkish ambassador “for a harsh condemnation meeting and to convey a clear message to Erdogan”. He accused the Turkish leader of being someone who “supports Hamas terrorists who burn babies, murderers, rapists and dismember bodies”.

Calling Erdogan “the last person who can talk about God”, Katz said he “should be silent and ashamed” because “There is no God who will listen to those who support the brutality and crimes against humanity committed by your barbarian friends from Hamas”.

The online diplomatic spat is the latest representation of the increase in tensions between Turkiye and Israel over the ongoing offensive on Gaza. Having worked on strengthening and developing ties prior to 7 October, the Israeli atrocities in the besieged strip have once again proven to stretch those relations to breaking point.

READ: Erdogan: Gaza has turned into massacres, not self-defence