Erdoğan issues warning to Netanyahu over Gaza war
Abdullateef Fowewe
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has delivered a message against those he accused of seeking to destabilise the Middle East, declaring that “merchants of blood” and perpetrators of genocide would ultimately be defeated.
Speaking at a Manzikert anniversary event, Erdoğan said divine will would prevail over the plans of actors he accused of fuelling conflict across the region.
“If everyone has an agenda, rest assured that we too have an agenda, a plan. Most importantly, Allah, the Lord of all worlds, also has a plan. And in the end, that plan will prevail. The merchants of blood will lose,” Erdoğan said.
He added, “Those who seek to plunge our region into instability, the perpetrators of genocide, will lose. The side of humanity will prevail. Brotherhood will prevail. Peace and stability will prevail.”
The comments come after Turkey reportedly sought an international arrest warrant for Netanyahu over Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Netanyahu’s office responded by branding Erdoğan an “antisemitic dictator,” accusing him of supporting Hamas and oppressing Kurdish communities.
The latest exchange underscores the wider geopolitical rivalry between Erdoğan and Netanyahu, whose governments have clashed over Israel’s war in Gaza, developments in Syria and Lebanon, and Turkey’s regional security agenda.
Erdoğan has repeatedly portrayed Turkey as a defender of Palestinian rights, regional peace and humanitarian principles.
