Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected claims that Turkey is becoming a threat to Israel, saying the rhetoric is partly tied to Israeli domestic politics. He acknowledged serious differences with Israel but played down the prospect of war.
The remarks followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday. Netanyahu called Turkey a “superspreader of antisemitic lies,” labeled Erdogan a “tyrant,” and accused Ankara of hosting Hamas leaders, threatening Greece and seeking greater influence in Syria; Turkey rejected the accusations.
The rivalry is particularly visible in Syria: Erdogan backs President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s government and says Turkey wants Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity preserved, while Israel has conducted military operations there and voiced concern about hostile forces and foreign military influence near its borders. Erdogan said Turkey’s ties with Washington should not be defined by Israel. Turkey does not possess or control nuclear weapons of its own but hosts U.S. B61 bombs at Incirlik under NATO nuclear-sharing arrangements; independent estimates put their number at 20–30, a figure Washington does not publicly confirm, and the weapons remain under U.S. custody and control.
