Erdogan on the possibility of a conflict with Israel: "We will not hesitate to enter a war"
The President of Turkey sent a direct message to Israel: Ankara seeks peace but "will not run away" from war if attacked. He also elaborated on the defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and on Turkey's involvement in regional arenas.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that his country is not looking for a war with Israel, but clarified that if Turkey is attacked, Ankara will not hesitate to defend itself and even go to war. The remarks were made in a special interview for the "Al-Muqabala" program on Al Jazeera, which aired on Sunday, in response to a question about reports in Israeli media presenting Turkey as Israel's next adversary.
"We are not talking about war, but about peace and achieving world peace," Erdogan said.
However, he added that if there are those who attack Turkey "for the sake of war and not for the sake of peace," his country "will not hesitate to enter a war and will not run away from it." The Turkish president emphasized that he is not interested in such a scenario.
Erdogan also addressed the joint defense agreement signed in Mecca between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. According to him, the agreement is based on the principle of joint defense, such that an attack on one of the three countries could lead to joint action by the others. He compared the defense mechanism to the collective defense principle of NATO and emphasized that the countries would be able to assist each other against any external aggression.
According to him, the agreement is not a "Sunni alliance," but a message of peace to the world, and it is open to the accession of other countries, including Egypt. Later, Erdogan returned to criticize Israel, which he defined as the central factor pushing for conflicts in the region. He said that Turkey is interested in ending the war between the USA and Iran and in restoring stability to the Middle East. The Turkish president also called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to free shipping, without fees, due to its importance for global trade and oil transport.
Erdogan also addressed the situation in Syria and Lebanon. He said that Turkey is in constant contact with the new Syrian leadership and that he intends to visit Damascus. Regarding Lebanon, he claimed that the ongoing Israeli strikes are causing deep concern in Ankara, and added that he spoke with US President Donald Trump about the need to bring them to an end.
Regarding the "Mecca Agreement," Donald Trump stated on the night between Sunday and Monday that he is "very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca joint defense agreement."
Regarding Gaza, Erdogan claimed that Hamas is, according to him, meeting its commitments, while Israel continues its strikes. He clarified that Turkey will continue to assist Gaza and exert diplomatic pressure to end the fighting.
