Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 06:44 am
Ankara: President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey could be involved in Israel just like it had done in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, although he did not spell out what kind of involvement that would be. Erdogan has been one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s offensive in Gaza; he said this during a speech highlighting the achievements in Turkey’s defense industry.
Erdogan said, “We must be very strong so that Israel will not be able to continue these laughable acts against Palestine. Just like we stormed Karabakh, just as we stormed Libya, we might do the same thing,” Erdogan said in a meeting of his ruling AK Party in his hometown of Rize. “There is no reason why we cannot do this. We must be strong so as to take these steps, he added in the televised address.
Lack of Details over Specific Issues AK Party representatives refused to give any further details regarding the remarks made by Erdogan. Israeli officials have also not issued any comment so far over the remarks made by Erdogan.
Historical Context Erdogan appeared to refer to past military interventions of Turkey. In 2020, Turkey deployed troops in Libya to support the UN-recognized Government of National Accord. Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah heads the Government of National Unity in Tripoli and is backed by Turkey.
In the case of Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkey has denied direct involvement in Azerbaijan’s military operations but has admitted to providing support through military training and modernization efforts for its ally.
It thus appears that President Erdogan is signaling a further evolution of the Turkish foreign policy stance toward Israel, related to the Turkish interventions already carried out in other regional conflicts. Such a statement is bound to further exacerbate tensions in an already volatile region.
