Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: glavcom.
Diplomatic tensions
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has officially announced the termination of diplomatic relations with Israel. Speaking to journalists on 13 November, the Turkish leader emphasised the end of relations between the two countries, stressing that Turkey no longer has any diplomatic ties with Israel. However, official Jerusalem claims that no confirmation of this decision has been received, and the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv continues to operate as usual, TimeUkraineIsrael reports citing Vesty.
Turkish media and the escalation of rhetoric
Turkish TV channel TRT Haber quoted Erdogan: “We, as a state and government of Turkey, have severed relations with Israel. We have no relations with Israel at the moment”. This statement reinforces Erdogan’s long-standing anti-Israel rhetoric, but there has been no official announcement of a complete severance of diplomatic ties.
The Turkish president’s statement was probably prompted by domestic criticism: some of the Turkish press expressed doubts about the consistency of his policy towards Israel, noting that economic ties between the countries were allegedly maintained. The response to the criticism was sharp: Erdogan reiterated his position on the conflict and assured that Turkey does not cooperate with Israel, developing a “strong independent position”.
Harsh rhetoric about Israel and the US
Since the outbreak of the war on 7 October 2023, Erdogan has repeatedly made harsh statements about Israeli policy. During a speech at the UN General Assembly in October 2024, he called Israel a “Zionist terrorist organisation” and compared Israeli leaders to Nazis. He also criticised the United States and Western powers for supporting Israel, which he said fuelled the conflict and weakened regional stability.
Threats of military intervention
Tensions between the two countries reached a new level in the summer of 2024, when the Turkish president expressed his willingness to intervene directly. Speaking at a Justice and Development Party political event on 28 July, he said: “Just as we entered Nagorno-Karabakh and Libya, we will enter Israel. We have to be strong”. This statement caused a significant response in both Turkish and international media, highlighting the growing aggressiveness of his stance.
Prospects for the development of relations
Despite Erdogan’s statements, it remains unclear whether this means a complete and official severance of diplomatic relations or another wave of criticism that has more of a domestic political effect. At the moment, the embassies of both countries continue to operate as usual, which may indicate that certain channels of communication may be maintained and that the direct impact of the Turkish president’s statements on official diplomacy will be limited.
