There are two points: what influences Erdogan’s rhetoric about Israel

What influences Erdogan’s rhetoric regarding Israel / Collage 24 Channel / GettyImages

Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Israel a “terrorist state.” But the Turkish president's rhetoric changed gradually.

Deputy Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies Sergei Danilov told Channel 24 , noting that when Hamas attacked Israel, Erdogan’s first statements towards Israel were of condolences. Let us note that the militants entered the country on October 7.

“The changes occurred gradually. In particular, because Erdogan saw this as an opportunity to play in the domestic political arena, to consolidate his electorate ahead of the local elections that will be held next year,” said the deputy director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies.

In addition, there are foreign policy guidelines. The mood of citizens in the Middle East is generally pro-Palestinian. While many governments, on the contrary, are trying to reduce the level of aggression towards Israel and are only taking forced steps in support of the Palestinians.

Erdogan saw his niche in this. Obviously, he hoped that he would be able to somehow participate in the development of Gaza after the end of the military operation. And, for example, the Turkish contingent will enter as a guarantor of security,” noted Sergei Danilov.

Or Türkiye will be a mediator for the release of hostages. However, they are now being dealt with by Qatar. This country is Turkey's closest ally in the Middle East. Turkey guaranteed her security when Qatar had a conflict with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

What are the reasons for the position of the Turkish President: watch the video

When might Erdogan's rhetoric change?

Recep Erdogan's rhetoric may change. When US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Middle East for the first time after October 7 and Turkey was not invited, its president showed dissatisfaction. Like, they didn’t take his point of view into account. This could also be the reason for the change in rhetoric and escalation.

Recently, the President of Turkey submitted to parliament the ratification of Sweden's accession to NATO. In addition, he hopes to visit the United States.

Against the backdrop of the fact that the ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO will advance, Biden will be able to persuade Democrats to unblock the supply of F-16s in the Senate, Erdogan’s rhetoric regarding Netanyahu or the entire situation will change. It won’t be so radical,” Danilov suggested.

Statements by Recep Erdogan

• The Turkish President criticized Israel. He called this country a “terrorist state.” Erdogan is confident that Israel wants to destroy Gaza and all its inhabitants. At the same time, he called Hamas terrorists “resistance fighters.”
• Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of “war crimes”. And also in “human rights violations” in the Gaza Strip. The head of Turkey believes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer “someone to talk to.” Like, he was “crossed out.”
• Earlier, the Turkish president said that the country was preparing to declare Israel a “war criminal.” He also called the events in the Gaza Strip a “massacre” and said that the West was responsible for this.