Erdogan calls Israel a ‘terrorist state’ in forceful Antalya speech
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during the opening ceremony of the 4th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Antalya, Türkiye on April 11, 2025. (AA Photo)
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a blistering condemnation of Israel at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Saturday, explicitly describing it as a “terrorist state” while accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians.
“For the past 1.5 years, Israel has been openly committing genocide against the Palestinian people, disregarding basic human rights and trampling on international law,” Erdogan declared in his address.
His rhetoric escalated as he criticized what he characterized as international complicity through inaction. “Remaining silent in the face of Israel’s massacres is to be complicit in this crime,” he said.
Erdogan contrasted Türkiye’s current position with its historical role as a safe haven for Jewish refugees. “500 years ago, we welcomed the people of Israel, the Jews, who were expelled from their lands. What Türkiye was back then, it is the same today,” the president stated, implying that Türkiye’s issue is with the Israeli government rather than Jewish people.
His comments come amid heightened tensions in the region and represent some of the strongest language used by a NATO member state against Israel. Erdogan called for meaningful intervention from global powers, particularly urging the UN Security Council to “stand with the Palestinian people” and take concrete steps to end the ongoing violence.
The Turkish president’s characterization of Israel as a “terrorist state” stands in stark contrast to the positions of many Western allies, highlighting Türkiye’s increasingly independent foreign policy stance on Middle Eastern affairs.
