Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched a blistering attack on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu during a summit in Istanbul, blaming Israel for sabotaging peace and dragging the region toward disaster. His remarks underscored growing divisions within NATO and the Islamic world over the Iran-Israel conflict.
Key Facts:
- Turkish President Erdoğan called Netanyahu “the biggest obstacle to regional peace” during a speech at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul.
- He accused Israel of intentionally provoking Iran to derail upcoming U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations.
- Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Israel was “leading the region to the brink of total disaster.”
- Iran’s Foreign Minister stated that Iran is open to diplomacy only if Israel halts its attacks.
- The 57-member OIC convened in Istanbul to discuss rising tensions in the Middle East, with Turkey taking a lead role as host.
The Rest of The Story:
At the Istanbul summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Erdoğan issued a scathing condemnation of Israeli actions, accusing Netanyahu of obstructing peace and fueling a broader regional crisis.
Speaking to Arab League diplomats, he warned that Israel’s aggression was an attempt to sabotage ongoing U.S.-led diplomatic efforts with Iran.
“Netanyahu’s Zionist ambitions have no other purpose than to drag our region and … the whole world into a big disaster,” Erdoğan said.
He also criticized Western nations for offering “unconditional support” to Israel and claimed Turkey would resist any attempts to redraw Middle Eastern borders “in blood.”
Erdoğan’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, echoed the rhetoric, saying, “There is no Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian, Yemeni or Iranian problem but there is clearly an Israeli problem.”
Please note that Erdogan's Turkey is one of the major players in the CCP's Belt and Road Initiative both through the Silk Road land route and the Maritime route. https://t.co/uSKeMeecuY
— Michael O'Fallon – Sovereign Nations (@SovMichael) June 21, 2025
Meanwhile, Iran signaled openness to renewed talks—but only if Israel ends its military actions.
Commentary:
Turkey once stood as a modern, western-facing nation and a reliable NATO ally.
But under Erdoğan’s rule, the country has veered in a different direction—one that frequently pits it against its long-time allies in the West.
Erdoğan’s fiery rhetoric at the OIC summit reinforces how far Turkey has drifted from its earlier pro-Western posture.
While Turkey shares cultural and religious ties with the Muslim world, it also historically enjoyed close diplomatic and military relations with Israel.
That foundation has all but crumbled under Erdoğan, who increasingly aligns with Iranian and Islamist factions in the region.
It’s no secret that Erdoğan dreams of a more powerful and independent Turkey, a regional power broker that doesn’t answer to Washington or Brussels.
His remarks paint Netanyahu as a villain, while offering cover for Iran’s aggressive actions.
That kind of positioning raises serious questions about Turkey’s reliability as a NATO member.
Criticizing Israel is a common theme in Middle Eastern politics, but defending the Islamic Republic of Iran—a regime that openly calls for the destruction of Israel and sponsors terrorism across the region—is a different matter altogether.
It signals which side Erdoğan is increasingly willing to stand with, even at the cost of Western trust.
In the conflict between Israel and Iran, moral clarity isn’t hard to find.
The Iranian regime is run by unelected mullahs who brutalize their own people and destabilize neighboring nations.
Israel, on the other hand, is a democratic ally whose military responses are often defensive in nature.
Erdoğan’s framing of the situation tries to turn truth on its head, placing blame squarely on Israel while portraying Iran as a victim.
That’s a dangerous distortion.
While Israel certainly isn’t perfect, siding with Iran’s theocrats in a time of rising tensions betrays the values the West once hoped Turkey would uphold.
The Bottom Line:
Erdoğan’s verbal attacks on Israel and defense of Iran reveal a deeper shift in Turkey’s strategic alignment.
Once a bridge between East and West, Turkey under Erdoğan is increasingly acting as a megaphone for anti-Western narratives.
His rhetoric should serve as a wake-up call to U.S. and NATO leaders: Turkey may wear the uniform of an ally, but it’s not clear anymore whose side it’s on.
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