Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan escalated his verbal assault on Israel on Tuesday, saying Israel is 'a murderous gang that will do anything to cover up its barbaric acts in Gaza,' according to Israel Hayom. The remarks, made hours after two earlier statements in the same vein on the same day, further widen the diplomatic rift between Ankara and Jerusalem following Israel's official recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched another fierce verbal broadside against Israel on Tuesday evening, calling the country 'a murderous gang that will do anything to cover up its barbaric acts in Gaza,' as reported by Israel Hayom. This is the third time Erdogan has attacked Israel on the same day in connection with Jerusalem's official recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Earlier on Tuesday, he dismissed the recognition as 'slander from a murderous crime network' and, in a separate statement, accused Israel of committing 'barbaric acts' in Gaza — all within hours.
The sharp escalation in rhetoric extends a diplomatic confrontation that began on June 10 when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled Erdogan an 'antisemitic dictator' who 'supports Hamas.' The two leaders' war of words has since produced a series of reciprocal condemnations. On June 26, Turkish officials charged that Israel's recognition was a 'cynical diversion' from Gaza operations, while Ankara's foreign ministry also condemned the move. Azerbaijan, a close Turkish ally, joined the criticism on June 29, denouncing the recognition as 'a distortion of history.'
Erdogan's latest remarks carry no immediate policy shift but deepen the institutional hostility between the two countries, which expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have not restored full diplomatic ties. Israel's recognition of the Armenian Genocide, formally declared by Foreign Minister Sa'ar and endorsed by the Knesset, remains a core point of friction. Turkey has denied the genocide for decades and considers any foreign recognition a threat to its national narrative.
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