Erdogan Accuses Israel of Trying to Sabotage U.S.-Iran Deal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used a speech in the Turkish parliament to sharply attack Israel, saying it is trying to undermine the agreement reached through major efforts by all sides. He said that in the past 10 days Israel had been working to derail the deal and warned that if peace comes to the region, it will come despite Israel.

Erdogan said Turkey had not let any of its people be harmed despite “various provocations,” and claimed Ankara had not been drawn into what he described as Israel’s attempts to spread chaos in the region. He added that Israel cannot tolerate even the smallest chance of peace.

In his remarks, Erdogan described the current situation as so bad that “everyone is blaming each other for killing fewer people and spilling less blood,” and said both the government and the opposition are competing in “murderous conduct.” He also called Israel a “bloodthirsty mob” and a “network of killers” that treats regional instability as its national security.

Erdogan said Turkey had kept the country away from a “ring of fire” during the U.S.-Israel-Iran war and would not give in to Israeli efforts to spark new conflicts. He said Turkey would do everything possible to seize even the smallest opening for peace and would continue supporting efforts for a lasting solution to the Iranian crisis.