Erdogan suggests Turkey might intervene in Israel to aid Palestinians

ANKARA: President Tayyip Erdogan indicated on Sunday that Turkey might consider intervening in Israel, drawing parallels to its past actions in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, although he did not specify the nature of such intervention.

During a speech that highlighted Turkey’s advancements in defense technology, Erdogan, a staunch critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, addressed the potential for military involvement.

“We need to be very strong to prevent Israel from continuing its actions against Palestine,” Erdogan stated in a speech to his ruling AK Party in his hometown of Rize. “Just as we intervened in Karabakh and Libya, we might undertake similar actions regarding Israel.”

He emphasized the necessity of strength to enable Turkey to pursue these steps. Erdogan’s comments were made during a televised address, and no further details were provided by AK Party representatives or Israel in response to the remarks.

The president’s comments seemed to allude to previous Turkish actions. In 2020, Turkey deployed military personnel to Libya to support the UN-recognized Government of National Accord. Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, who leads the Government of National Unity in Tripoli, has Turkish backing.

Although Turkey has denied direct involvement in Azerbaijan’s military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, it has acknowledged providing military training and modernization support to its ally.