A diplomatic storm has erupted following provocative remarks by Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, who declared that Turkey will one day reclaim control over Jerusalem.
Speaking at a ruling party convention in the Çorum province, Çiftçi stated that just as Turkey witnessed the "liberation" of Damascus, Aleppo, and Karabakh, it will witness the "freedom of Jerusalem" in the future.
The minister shared that during his tenure as governor of the Erzurum province, he maintained a constant prayer to serve even a single day as the governor of Jerusalem. He added that he firmly believes this day will come.
He further asserted that territories previously under Ottoman rule would return to Turkish sovereignty, while praising Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a "global leader."
Following 24 hours of silence, the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a sharp rebuke. "Wake up and smell the coffee," the statement read. "The corrupt Ottoman Empire is gone. Forever. The capital city of Jerusalem will remain Israel’s eternal capital."
Defense Minister Israel Katz also slammed the Turkish minister, stating that Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years and will remain Israel's capital forever. "The State of Israel is not a crumbling Crusader kingdom, but a strong and resolute nation that has proven its capability to defend itself against any threat," he stated.
Katz added that the Ottoman Empire envisioned by Çiftçi and Erdogan has collapsed and will never return. He went on to criticize the Turkish leadership, arguing that their actions directly contradict the legacy of the Republic of Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Turkey and Israel were close to reconciliation just before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, but since that time, Turkish officials, and foremost Erdogan, have repeatedly criticized Israel.
In March of last year, Erdogan blasted Israel and described it as a "terror state" after it launched surprise strikes on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip.
Several months later, the Turkish President claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government represents the most significant threat to Middle East security.
In April of 2024, he met then-Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul. Haniyeh was later eliminated by Israel.
Erdogan said after the meeting that Palestinian Arab unity was “vital" and added, “The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity."
Weeks later, Erdogan boasted of the fact that more than 1,000 members of Hamas were being treated in hospitals across Turkey and also took issue with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ reference to Hamas as a terrorist organization.
In April, the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office filed an extensive indictment against 35 senior Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, in connection with the Israeli navy’s seizure of the “Sumud" flotilla bound for Gaza in October last year.
In response, Katz blasted Erdogan and said, "Turkish President Erdogan, who did not respond to missile fire from Iran into Turkish territory and was revealed as a paper tiger, is fleeing to the realms of antisemitism and declaring field trials in Turkey against Israel's political and military leadership."
He added, "What an absurdity. The Muslim Brotherhood man, who massacred Kurds, is accusing Israel of genocide for defending itself against his Hamas partners."
"Israel will continue to defend itself with strength and determination - and he had better sit quietly and shut up."