Türkiye on Wednesday sharply condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over comments targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, criticizing the Israeli leader for attempting to mislead international public opinion while deflecting attention from Israel's war crimes in Gaza. Senior Turkish officials described Netanyahu's remarks as baseless and provocative, reiterating calls for international legal accountability over the war.
The Foreign Ministry criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for seeking to manipulate international public opinion through "baseless, provocative and untrue allegations" against President Erdoğan.
The ministry's statement came after Netanyahu posted remarks on social media portraying Israel as morally superior while directing criticism at the Turkish president. Earlier in the day, Erdoğan had urged the international community to stop Netanyahu and his "network of murderers" from expanding violence across the region, including in Lebanon and Syria.
Türkiye is a fierce critic of Israel and one of the few countries in its region to openly defy the Netanyahu administration's genocidal campaign of expansionism that spread from the Palestinian territories to Lebanon and beyond. For Ankara, Israel is the biggest obstacle to peace in the wider region. The country has exerted efforts for a diplomatic solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict and cut off all ties with Israel since the genocide in Gaza began three years ago. Erdoğan is at the forefront of the criticism and has repeatedly urged the international community to stop Israel before it embarked on another campaign of terror in Lebanon.
"Netanyahu, an expert in genocide, cannot hide his responsibility for grave crimes through lies aimed at obscuring the truth," the ministry said, adding that Türkiye would continue to speak out against Israeli violations of international law and work to ensure that those responsible are held accountable before international judicial bodies.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran also condemned Netanyahu's comments, calling them an act of "audacity."
"It is an extraordinary contradiction for individuals facing genocide accusations to target President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," Duran said, arguing that an administration responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza was in no position to lecture Türkiye on morality.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek echoed the criticism, dismissing Netanyahu's remarks as meaningless and accusing the Israeli prime minister of attempting to attack a leader who has consistently advocated for Palestinian rights and civilian protection.
Gürlek noted that Netanyahu is listed as a suspect in a genocide-related investigation being conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and has been named as a defendant in an accepted indictment linked to the case.
He said those who remain silent in the face of the humanitarian situation in Gaza would be judged harshly by history and vowed that Netanyahu and those responsible for alleged crimes against civilians would eventually face justice.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesman Ömer Çelik accused Netanyahu's government of pursuing expansionist policies across the region, rejecting Israeli criticism of Erdoğan and saying occupation, territorial ambitions and settlement expansion were hallmarks of the Israeli administration.
Speaking after a meeting of the party's Central Executive Board (MYK), Çelik said Israeli officials appeared to closely monitor Erdoğan's speeches and reacted within minutes with what he described as "delusional statements."
Responding to Israeli accusations of expansionism against Türkiye, Çelik said such claims were detached from reality and argued that Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya's recent remarks merely reflected the deep attachment Muslims feel toward Jerusalem.
"If we are to speak of occupation, conquest and expansionism, these concepts are synonymous with the Netanyahu government," Çelik said.
He criticized Israel for continuing its occupation of Gaza, expanding illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and seizing Palestinian land through new illegal settlement projects. He also pointed to Israeli military operations in Lebanon, arguing that the Netanyahu government had no credibility when accusing others of expansionist ambitions.
Çelik further criticized Netanyahu's description of the Israeli military as "the world's most moral army," saying the claim was contradicted by the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and Israeli military violations of international law across the region.
Reaffirming Türkiye's longstanding position on the Palestinian issue, Çelik said Ankara supports the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with U.N. parameters and international law.
He also criticized segments of Türkiye's opposition, saying some domestic political actors were echoing rhetoric used by Israeli ministers.
Türkiye has been among the most vocal critics of Israel's genocidal military campaign in Gaza, repeatedly calling for a cease-fire and supporting international legal efforts aimed at investigating alleged violations of international law.
