Ankara, April 13, 2026 — Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, has warned that his country could take military action against Israel if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue, sharply escalating already tense relations between the two nations.
Speaking amid rising regional tensions, Erdoğan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being “blinded by blood and hatred,” suggesting that Turkey had no reason to refrain from confronting Israel militarily.
“We could enter Israel just as we entered Libya and Karabakh,” Erdoğan said, referring to Turkey’s previous military involvement in regional conflicts. “There is no reason for us not to do it.”
His remarks also referenced the broader geopolitical environment in the Middle East. Erdoğan claimed that if Pakistan had not mediated tensions during a confrontation between Iran and the United States, Turkey might already have taken action against Israel.
The statement comes as Turkish prosecutors filed an indictment against Netanyahu and 35 senior Israeli officials, accusing them of crimes against humanity, genocide, torture, and unlawful detention. According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, prosecutors have requested prison sentences totaling more than 4,500 years.
Akın Gürlek, Turkey’s justice minister and former chief prosecutor of Istanbul who initiated the investigation, described the indictment as a “historic” legal step.
Israel reacted strongly to the move. In a social media post, Netanyahu accused Erdoğan of committing atrocities against Kurdish citizens in Turkey.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz dismissed the accusations, calling Erdoğan a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood and stating that Israel would continue defending itself with strength and determination.
Meanwhile, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir responded with harsh language on social media, further intensifying the diplomatic dispute.
Turkey and Israel once maintained strong political, economic, and tourism ties. However, relations have deteriorated significantly in recent years, particularly during conflicts involving Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
The latest exchange of threats and legal actions signals a deepening rift between the two regional powers amid the broader instability in the Middle East.
