Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday morning not to test Israel's resolve, accusing him of dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria. The statement, reported by Israeli media, echoes Katz's earlier tweet in Turkish posted at 08:22, in which he directly addressed Erdogan.
Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a fresh warning to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday morning, stating that Erdogan is 'dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria' and urging him not to test Israel's resolve. The remarks, reported by Israeli media, follow Katz's earlier tweet in Turkish posted at 08:08 Jerusalem, in which he directly warned Erdogan to stop his Syria policy.
The tweet at 08:08 was the first time Katz addressed Erdogan directly in Turkish, accusing him of endangering Turkey and suggesting he stick to 'fantasy speeches.' The new statement echoes that warning. This is the latest in a series of direct exchanges between Jerusalem and Ankara. As The Zioneer reported on Tuesday, Jul 28 at 12:36 Jerusalem, Katz warned Erdogan at the Channel 14 Security Conference: 'I suggest he not mess with us.' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also issued multiple warnings. On Wednesday, Jul 1 at 10:17 Jerusalem, Netanyahu advised Erdogan to 'calm down' and said Israel has 'proven what we can do.' On Wednesday, Aug 19 at 21:13 Jerusalem, Netanyahu acknowledged an Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase, stating that Israel 'made sure Turkey understood' after warnings about its military buildup in Syria.
The escalation in rhetoric comes amid growing Israeli concern over Turkish military activity in Syria. As The Zioneer reported on Aug 19, Netanyahu linked Turkey's assertiveness to the decline of Iranian influence in the region. Katz has also emphasized that the IDF will maintain security zones in Syria and elsewhere 'until further notice,' as reported on Wednesday, Jul 1 at 16:47 Jerusalem.
It remains unclear whether Ankara will respond to Katz's latest warning. Turkey has not officially commented on the statement as of Thursday morning.
- StrongKatz warns Turkey's Erdogan: 'Don't mess with us'
- StrongErdogan warns against 'Zionist slaughter network', vows tough response to any threat
- StrongNetanyahu warns Erdogan: 'We have proven what we can do'
- StrongDefense Minister Katz toured Syrian Hermon on Tuesday, says IDF won't leave amid threats
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