There is a political calculation behind this: Erdogan blames the West for the Gaza war

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After the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (69) offered to mediate between the two sides. The Turkish president saw himself in a good position to do this: Ankara has a direct line to Hamas leaders, and relations with Israel have also improved in recent years.

Not much remains of the conciliatory tone. The Turkish president made it clear on Saturday: he has sided with the Hamas terrorists. The massacre was “solely the work of the West.” The president speaks of a ‘crusade atmosphere’ and a ‘war between the cross and the crescent’. He recalled the medieval crusades of the Europeans against Islamic rule over Palestine and made it clear: if the West turns against the Islamic world, it will have Turkey against it.

Not seen as an intermediary

Erdogan announced that people could come to the Middle East “unexpectedly every evening”. With his harsh words and threats, the Turkish president breaks with Israel. This is because he was not recognized in his role as a mediator, writes Ali Babacan, a former EU negotiator for Turkey, on X.

While the US and EU classify Hamas as a terrorist organization, Erdogan considers it a “group of liberators.” Moreover, Israel is said to be committing war crimes by directing its bombing ‘against women, children and innocent civilians’.

Tel Aviv, in turn, does not ignore the Turkish president’s criticism. On Saturday evening, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen (51) announced that he would recall all Israeli diplomatic representatives from Turkey. Israeli citizens in Turkey were also advised to leave the country.

Erdogan turns demonstration into election campaign

According to the Tagesspiegel, the local elections in Turkey are probably the reason for Erdogan’s strong rhetoric. He would like to win back the cities of Istanbul and Ankarr, which usually vote for the opposition. The opposition has criticized Erdogan’s rapprochement with Israel in the past.

One thing is clear: Erdogan’s statements are putting relations with Israel on hold. And this especially after years of rapprochement and diplomatic progress. (SDA/obf)

Source: Blick