Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared that communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer possible for him, attributing this to the recent military actions in Gaza.
This statement was made to journalists during Erdogan's return flight from a summit in Kazakhstan, as reported by Turkish media according to Times of Israel.
Erdogan expressed a definitive stance, stating, "Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We erased him and threw him away."
Despite this, Erdogan mentioned that Turkey's foreign minister and intelligence chief would maintain dialogue with Israeli representatives, as well as with Hamas and other Palestinian factions. Erdogan's comments come in the wake of an Israeli offensive against Hamas, initiated after an October 7 attack that resulted in approximately 1,400 fatalities, predominantly among civilians.
This military response has led to Erdogan intensifying his criticism and effectively ending any progress towards reconciliation between Turkey and Israel, which have had strained relations for over a decade.
Furthermore, Erdogan reiterated Turkey's potential role as a guarantor in a long-term peace agreement between Israel and Palestine, drawing parallels to Turkey's guarantor status in Cyprus as per the 1960 treaty.
He indicated that Ankara is actively seeking solutions and formulating strategies to achieve peace in the region.
Erdogan also voiced criticism of the international community's support for Israel, particularly pointing out the West and the United States for siding with Israel. He suggested that fairness should not be expected from the European Union regarding the situation in Gaza.
