Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan continued his verbal attacks on Israel, directly accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition of manufacturing external crises for domestic electoral gain, while warning that Israeli foreign policy poses a severe threat to regional stability.
Speaking on The National's “On the Record with Hadley Gamble", Fidan charged, “The policies of Netanyahu’s government are not only a problem for us. His policies and his government are a burden for Israel, a burden for the region, and a burden and threat for international security."
When questioned on whether the harsh diplomatic rhetoric could spark a direct military confrontation between Ankara and Jerusalem, Fidan minimized the likelihood of an armed escalation.
“There is no reason to have an open conflict," Fidan clarified.
Fidan stated that while European leaders are increasingly identifying the strategic challenges posed by Israel, they have yet to implement effective countermeasures. He cautioned that ongoing efforts to disrupt political progress in Syria could worsen the situation.
“We are not sure if Israel wants to see a stable, good, powerful, evolving, developed Syria," he remarked.
When asked point-blank if Israel is actively attempting to undermine the newly established government in Damascus, Fidan responded, “When you look at the past and current patterns of the Israeli government towards the regional countries, yes."
The comments mark the second time in recent weeks that the top Turkish diplomat has lashed out at Israel. Last week, Fidan told CNN Türk that Israel’s contemporary political strategies and foundational mindset had "become a burden that humanity can no longer bear."
The Turkish diplomat further characterized the state of Israel as representing one of "humanity's common problems" while calling on global entities to apply concerted international pressure on the nation.
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."
The rant was blasted by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who 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.
Fidan’s remarks were also criticized by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who said, "Israel faces an ongoing threat from the region and has the right and duty to protect its population."
Fidan’s remarks were 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.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)