The authoritarian president of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, launched a strong anti-Semitic attack against Israel during an event on Sunday.
"We see what is happening in Palestine. May Allah destroy Zionist Israel in his holy name. We must see what is happening there and, therefore, we must unite, be strong, and brothers here. May Allah always strengthen our unity," declared Erdogan.
The Turkish president made these remarks after attending a mosque to commemorate Eid al-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of the month of Ramadan.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, presidente turco.
Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, a specialist in Turkish affairs at the Dayan Center of Tel Aviv University, reacted to the leader's statements.
"As far as I remember, it's not the first time he says something like this, but it's shocking. We have a head of state explicitly calling for the destruction of Israel. However, he presents it as a wish in the name of Allah instead of saying he would do it himself," he stated.
Regarding the terminology used by Erdogan, Yanarocak explained: "Allah has 100 names, and one of them is 'Al-Qahhar,' which means 'The Destroyer.' Erdogan, in essence, is saying: We have reached the end of the holiday, and instead of using the word Allah, he uses 'Al-Qahhar,' whose role is clear: to provoke the destruction of Israel."
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, presidente turco.
Erdogan's words
Erdogan, who is currently facing strong protests from the opposition in Türkiye, made especially harsh and reprehensible statements against Israel during the war against Hamas's Islamic terrorism in Gaza.
Earlier this month, when Israel resumed its military operations, he labeled it a "terrorist state" and expressed that Türkiye supports diplomatic efforts to achieve a "ceasefire."
During the war, Erdogan also drew parallels between Israel and the Nazi regime: "They have already surpassed Hitler. In the face of those who continue to call Hamas a terrorist organization while seeking Israel's compassion, we will continue to support the Palestinian struggle for independence under any circumstances and defend it with courage."
Last year, in his speech before the Turkish parliament, Erdogan expressed: "Whoever speaks against us will end up ashamed. From this platform, I salute the Palestinian struggle and commemorate all the heroes of the Palestinian people who have fallen since October 7."
