Erdogan's message to Israel: "Provocations and plots will not stop us"
The President of Turkey presented Ankara as seeking to turn the region into a "home of peace, security and stability," but at the same time sharpened his tone toward Israel. In another speech, he implicitly accused the Netanyahu government of attempting to plunge the region into instability - and promised that "blood merchants" and "genocide perpetrators" will lose.
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, sent implicit messages to Israel today (Wednesday), warning those who, according to him, are trying to stop Turkey's strengthening through "provocations and plots."
"We have made a decision to turn the region where we live into a home of peace, security and stability," said Erdogan. "Those who think they can stop the blessed journey of Turkey and the Turkish people through provocations and plots are destined to be disappointed."
In a speech he gave yesterday, Erdogan used clearer wording when he said that "the perpetrators of genocide who seek to plunge the region into instability will lose" - an expression he uses to describe Israel in general and the Netanyahu government in particular.
"The blood merchants will lose, the opportunists who profit from terror will lose, and the perpetrators of genocide who seek to plunge our region into instability will lose," said Erdogan. "The front of humanity will win, brotherhood will win, peace and stability will win."
Just this week, the Turkish Minister of Justice demanded that the Ministry of Interior issue a "red notice" via Interpol against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in order to assist in promoting his arrest on the international stage - this, on charges of attacking a flotilla, genocide, and committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
These are arrest warrants against Netanyahu and dozens of other senior Israeli officials. This is part of a criminal trial being conducted in absentia at the High Criminal Court in Istanbul. The charges are related to the armed stopping of the "Global Sumud Flotilla" on its way to Gaza in international waters.
The procedure relies on a previous decision from November 7, 2025, when arrest warrants were issued in Turkey against Netanyahu and 36 other senior Israeli officials, on suspicion of offenses attributed to activities in Gaza and the takeover of the flotilla. In fact, as early as July 14, a court in Turkey demanded that Interpol publish a red notice against Netanyahu.
These developments come against the backdrop of tension between the two countries, in light of the Israeli attack last week, during which fighter jets dropped at least eight bombs on runways and hangars at a Syrian base, located about 72 km from the Turkish border.
Just yesterday, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, claimed to Walla that "Israel received clear intelligence information indicating that Turkey intends to significantly expand its military presence in Syria."
According to Leiter, "Israel is not interested in an escalation with Turkey or Syria - but a red line was crossed. This was a Turkish move that blatantly violated the understandings that the status quo in Syria would be maintained. Those who needed to be exposed to the intelligence information received it - we clarified that this is a violation of the understandings, and therefore Israel was forced to act."
According to him, "Israel is definitely open to dialogue with Ankara, however, according to statements by senior officials in the country, they would prefer to wipe us off the map." Furthermore, Leiter pointed out that the Turkish move contradicted the understandings reached during the Biden administration between Israel and the administration of Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara, which established the status quo in the country.
