Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being the “biggest obstacle to regional peace” and criticized Western leaders for providing “unconditional support” to Israel. Speaking at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdogan urged countries with influence over Israel to seek a solution to the fighting via dialogue without allowing a wider conflict.
Erdogan emphasized that Israel’s attacks on Iran aimed to sabotage nuclear talks between Iran and the United States. “Netanyahu’s Zionist ambitions have no other purpose than to drag our region and the whole world into a big disaster,” he added. The Turkish president also stressed that Turkey would not allow borders in the Middle East to be redrawn “in blood”.
Erdogan called for more solidarity to end Israel’s “banditry” not only in Palestine but also in Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. “It is vital for us to show more solidarity to end Israel’s banditry – not only in Palestine but also in Syria, in Lebanon and in Iran,” he told the OIC gathering. The 57-member OIC, founded in 1969, aims to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in promoting international peace and harmony.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also condemned Israel’s actions, stating that Israel is leading the Middle East towards “total disaster” by attacking Iran. “There is no Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian, Yemeni or Iranian problem but there is clearly an Israeli problem,” he said. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed readiness to consider diplomacy once again, provided Israel stops its aggression and is held accountable for its crimes.
Erdogan has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon. In the past, he has compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and accused Israel of operating “Nazi” concentration camps. Turkey has also ceased all exports and imports to and from Israel amid the ongoing conflict. Erdogan’s comments reflect the deepening tensions between Turkey and Israel, with Erdogan positioning Turkey as a key player in finding a resolution to the Israel-Iran conflict.