Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Thursday blasted Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, after Fidan launched an anti-Israel tirade during an interview with CNN Turk.
The Turkish top diplomat had said in the interview, “Israel is not just Turkey’s problem, nor is it solely President Erdogan's issue. The only difference is that President Erdogan is the one openly saying that what is wrong is wrong. That is a separate matter, and it is something humanity itself should reflect on."
He then claimed, “But everyone knows it and feels it. People whisper it behind closed doors, and from time to time they say it openly. This is a problem for all of humanity. That's what we should call it."
Fidan continued, “These people have become a burden that humanity can no longer bear. With these policies and this mindset, humanity cannot carry this burden. The human conscience cannot bear it. Political systems cannot sustain it, and economic systems cannot sustain it. No matter which framework you use, there is no parameter under which these people can be sustained."
“If you expect me to solve your problem on your behalf all by myself, then everyone must step up, take a diplomatic stance, and impose the necessary sanctions on those people," the Turkish Foreign Minister said.
Fidan also claimed that “Israel is currently searching for a new enemy" and added, “As long as Israel - or any other actor - acts in ways that conflict with our national and regional interests, we have no reason to fear anyone, hesitate, or back down."
He further hinted that Turkey would not hesitate to fight Israel as he stated, “We have no problem with confrontation. If it comes to that, it is not an issue for us."
Responding to Fidan’s rant, Sa’ar said, “Turkish FM Hakan Fidan’s sickening words are textbook incitement to genocide."
“Dehumanizing the Jewish people as an ‘unbearable burden’ is the classic, horrific language of history’s worst eliminationist regimes," the Foreign Minister added.
“The civilized world and Turkey's NATO allies must unequivocally condemn this explicit call for the erasure of Israel," concluded Sa’ar.
Fidan’s remarks are the latest in a series of verbal attacks by Turkish officials against Israel. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month threatened attacks on Israel, claiming that Israeli strikes in Syria and Lebanon have reached a point where they also threaten his country.
Several days earlier, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi declared that Turkey will one day reclaim control over Jerusalem.
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, 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.