Türkiye has accused Israel of spreading “lies and slanders” against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in the latest escalation of tensions between the two regional powers over Gaza and Syria.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday rejected remarks by Israel’s Foreign Ministry targeting Erdoğan, saying they reflected what it called the “cowardly and rotten mentality” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Israel’s criticism followed a speech by Erdoğan on Friday in which he accused the Israeli government of seeking to destabilise the Middle East and described Zionism as a “radical, occupying and genocidal ideology”.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded by condemning Erdoğan’s rhetoric and accusations against Israel, prompting Ankara’s latest statement.
“The lies and slanders targeting our President in the statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry reflect the cowardly and rotten mentality of the criminals serving in the Israeli government, particularly Netanyahu,” Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said.
Speaking at a Mawlid al-Nabi Week event in Istanbul on Friday, Erdoğan accused Israel’s “war-obsessed government” of using provocations to destabilise the region. He also criticised Israeli actions in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon and called for greater unity across the Islamic world.
Türkiye has been among Israel’s strongest critics over the Gaza war and has repeatedly accused Netanyahu’s government of genocide. Israel rejects the allegation, saying its military operations target Hamas.
Relations have deteriorated further over Syria, where Türkiye has emerged as a major supporter of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
Israel has become increasingly concerned about Ankara’s influence there. Earlier this month, Israeli forces struck Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase after Israel said Turkish troops were preparing to deploy there. Türkiye denied plans for a permanent deployment and condemned the strike as a violation of Syrian sovereignty.
The two countries have since exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, with Israel accusing Türkiye of pursuing “dangerous adventures in Syria” and Ankara accusing Netanyahu of expansionist and destabilising policies.
The disputes over Gaza and Syria have transformed what was already a strained relationship into an increasingly direct regional rivalry, despite efforts to prevent their competing interests in Syria from escalating into a military confrontation.
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