Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Image Courtesy : File Photo)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged Islamic countries to unite against what he described as Israel's "expansionist threat" following the killing of a Turkish-American woman by Israeli troops during a protest in the West Bank.
The woman had been participating in a demonstration against settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied territory.
Speaking at an event near Istanbul on Saturday, Erdogan stated that only an alliance of Islamic nations could halt what he termed Israel’s "arrogance" and "state terrorism." His comments were made in response to the death of the woman, which Palestinian and Turkish officials attribute to Israeli forces.
Erdogan also emphasized that Turkey’s recent diplomatic efforts to restore ties with Egypt and Syria are part of a broader strategy to counter the expansionist threat, which he said also jeopardizes Lebanon and Syria. He highlighted Turkey’s ongoing dialogue with Egypt as a step towards building regional solidarity.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned Erdogan’s remarks, calling them "dangerous lies and incitement." Katz also accused the Turkish president of working alongside Iran to destabilize moderate Arab regimes in the region.
Erdogan's comments follow a meeting earlier this week with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Ankara, where they discussed the ongoing Gaza conflict and ways to further normalize relations between the two nations after years of strained ties. Erdogan has also expressed a willingness to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as part of efforts to mend relations with regional adversaries.
Israel's military has confirmed that it is investigating the death of the Turkish-American protester, though there has been no official statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.