Erdogan Says Israel Threatens Turkey, Netanyahu Calls Him an Antisemitic Tyrant

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sharply attacked Israel on Wednesday afternoon and also threatened to act against it. "Israel's aggression is a threat to the world and it must be stopped," Erdogan said in a speech to the Turkish parliament. "Israel's attacks on Syria and Lebanon have reached a point where they also threaten Turkey," Erdogan continued in another assault on Israel. "We also see Israeli initiatives in the Mediterranean Sea. No one should go on adventures there. Our response will be strong and clear if the rights of Turks and Turkish Cypriots are violated in the eastern Mediterranean."

During his speech in parliament, Erdogan repeated the comparison he has often made between Netanyahu and Hitler. "Eighty-five years ago, silence and turning a blind eye to Hitler led to the deaths of 80 million people around the world. All of humanity paid the price for the madness of an incorrigible tyrant. Today, the same mistake is being repeated," the Turkish president said. He added that "the murderous actions of the butcher of Gaza, Netanyahu, and his cabinet are being watched with the same silence and inaction. No one must forget that when a fire grows, it does not only burn the region, it spreads across the world. Just as the entire world pays the price of the unresolved situation in the Strait of Hormuz, if Israel's actions are not brought to an end, all of humanity, together with the region, will face the consequences."

Netanyahu responded to Erdogan, and in a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office it said: "The antisemitic tyrant Erdogan, who is carrying out genocide against the Kurds, supports the Hamas terror organization, oppresses his own people and jails political rivals, is the last person who can preach morality to the State of Israel. The State of Israel and the IDF, the most moral army in the world, will continue to act with force against Iran and its proxies, which threaten the Middle East and the entire world."

Erdogan also referred to the upcoming NATO summit and said that U.S. President Donald Trump's participation in the summit, which will be held in Ankara in July, is an important step for the alliance's unity.