Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told parliament Wednesday that Israeli strikes in Syria and Lebanon “have reached a point where they also threaten Turkey.” He added that “we see comprehensive initiatives led by Israel in the Mediterranean — and no one should chase adventures there.”
Erdoğan said Israel’s actions “threaten the entire world. This must stop. If the rights of Turks or Turkish Cypriots are harmed in the Middle East, our response will be firm and strong. Turkey’s security does not begin in Hatay; it extends to Aleppo, Damascus and Beirut. We will not tolerate any 'fait accompli' in our brotherly nations, nor will we ignore aggression against them.”
He also addressed government statements about a “Greater Israel,” saying, “God willing, we will never allow that.”
His remarks likely reference reports from December suggesting Israel, Greece and Cyprus were considering establishing a joint military force in the eastern Mediterranean, including naval, air and land units. According to the Greek news site TA NEA, discussions had already taken place among senior officers. The force was described as providing Israel with “additional strategic depth” against Turkey’s regional ambitions.
Plans reportedly call for a rapid-response force of about 2,500 troops, supported by ships, fighter jets and infrastructure on the Greek islands of Karpathos and Rhodes, as well as locations in Cyprus, Greece and Israel. Athens and Jerusalem would each contribute 1,000 troops, with Nicosia sending 500. The Israeli and Greek air forces would each provide one squadron.
Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has also recently made statements against Israel. Speaking at a ruling party conference, he said Turkey would one day take control of Jerusalem, invoking divine support. “As we have seen the liberation of Damascus, Aleppo and Karabakh, God willing, we will one day see the liberation of Jerusalem. These places will again be ours, under our rule and authority, because we have a world-class leader like Erdoğan,” he said.
Following his remarks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response: “The antisemitic dictator Erdoğan, who is committing genocide against the Kurds, supports the terrorist organization Hamas, oppresses his own people and imprisons political opponents, is the last person who can lecture the State of Israel on morality.
The State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces, the most moral army in the world, will continue to act decisively against Iran and its proxies, which threaten the Middle East and the world.”