ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared full support for Iran amid its rising tensions with Israel, calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government the greatest threat to regional and global peace.
Speaking at an emergency summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdogan sharply condemned Israel’s recent actions, comparing them to Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. “Just as Hitler’s spark 90 years ago set the world on fire, Netanyahu’s Zionist ambitions are dragging the world toward disaster,” he warned.
Erdogan voiced strong confidence in Iran’s resilience and future. “We are confident that victory will be on Iran’s side,” he stated, praising the country’s history and state institutions. He condemned Israel’s strikes on Iranian territory as a “clear violation of international law,” and affirmed Türkiye’s solidarity with Tehran, insisting that “Iran has every right to defend itself.”
Turning to Gaza, Erdogan delivered a scathing critique of Israel’s military campaign, now in its 21st month. He accused Israeli forces of targeting civilians, including children, and using starvation as a weapon. “Two million people in Gaza are living under conditions worse than Nazi concentration camps,” he said.
He accused Israel of trying to escalate the conflict across the broader region. “Israel wants to set the entire region on fire,” Erdogan said, blaming Netanyahu’s leadership for blocking peace and fueling instability. He also condemned Israeli operations in the West Bank, saying the “market of atrocities” had expanded there as well.
Erdogan criticized the silence and inaction of the international community and urged world powers—and especially Muslim nations—to take immediate steps to stop the violence. “I appeal to the global community to stop Israel before the conflict spirals further,” he said.
Broadening his remarks, Erdogan warned against the emergence of a new “Sykes-Picot order” in the Middle East—a reference to the colonial-era pact that divided the region among European powers. “We will not allow a new map to be drawn in blood,” he declared.
He also called for greater unity among Muslim nations. Emphasizing a shared destiny between Istanbul and Tehran, he urged the Islamic world to act as a united, independent force. “We stand on the threshold of a new era,” Erdogan said. “If we don’t resolve our internal disputes with unity and resolve, we only serve others’ interests.”
