Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Western powers of backing what he said were Israeli plans to attack Lebanon and spread war throughout the region.
“Israel, which devastated Gaza, is now setting its sights on Lebanon, as we see,” Erdogan said in a televised address to his fellow party members in the Turkish Parliament.
“We see that while Western powers speak differently on camera, behind the scenes they are patting Israel on the back and even supporting it.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
“Plans to spread the war to the region will lead to a great disaster,” he warned, adding that the Western support for Israel was “pitiful.”
Erdogan also took new swipe at Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It is extremely tragic that countries that gloat over freedom, human rights and justice have become slave to a mentally ill person like Netanyahu,” he said.
Additionally, the Turkish President criticized Muslim-majority countries for what he described as their failure to confront Israel.
“We sadly observe that the Islamic world is acting lethargically,” he said.
He asserted, “Turkey stands by the brotherly Lebanese people and government. I call on other regional countries to stand in solidarity with Lebanon too.”
The remarks quickly sparked a flare-up between Turkey and Israel, with Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz accusing Erdogan of declaring support for Hezbollah.
Katz denounced Turkey’s Erdogan as a “war criminal” for actions taken along the Turkey-Syria border.
In his social media post, Katz noted that Erdogan announced his support for Hezbollah against Israel’s threats.
“Erdogan is a war criminal who slaughters innocent Kurds across the Syrian border and tries to deny Israel its right to self-defense against a terror organization attacking from Lebanon under Iran’s orders.Be quiet and shame on you!”
Israel Katz
However, the Turkish Foreign Ministry quickly condemned the social media post by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
“We consider the disrespectful post by the Israeli Foreign Minister targeting our esteemed president as a tone that can only be adopted by an official of a state accused of genocide,” a ministry statement noted.
It emphasised that such accusations are part of Israel’s efforts to obscure its own criminal actions.
Criticising the social media post, the ministry said: “Such slander and lies are part of Israel’s efforts to cover up the crimes it has committed.”
It added that Turkey will continue to fight for peace and justice.
EU Top Diplomat Says Potential Israel-Hezbollah War Would Impact Bloc
Separately, European Union Representative, Josep Borell warned that if the ongoing war in Gaza spreads to Lebanon, the EU bloc will be affected.
In a meeting on Wednesday, Borell said that he and Lebanese Foreign Minister, Bou Habib discussed ways to ensure that there is an “immediate de-escalation” across the Blue Line — the border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel.
He also indicated they would ramp up efforts to find a political solution to lessen tensions.
“Lebanon, Israel and the region cannot afford another war. The EU would be affected too,” he posted on X.
Additionally, the United Nations humanitarian Chief, Martin Griffiths voiced alarm at the prospect of Israel’s war in Gaza spreading to Lebanon.
“I see it as the flashpoint … It’s potentially apocalyptic,” Griffiths, whose term finishes at the end of the month, told reporters in Geneva.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “Another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war, with terrible consequences for the Middle East.”
He added, “Diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation.”
German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock warned that any “miscalculation” could trigger all-out war and urged “extreme restraint.”
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