Turkey’s lawmakers held a rare closed-door parliamentary session on Tuesday to discuss the growing threat of war spreading across the Middle East, fueled by escalating conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. This meeting, held at the behest of opposition parties, comes just a week after President Tayyip Erdogan made an unsubstantiated claim that Israel may eventually target Turkish territory, a remark that has sparked both domestic and international debates.
Erdogan’s assertion, delivered during the opening of parliament, has been met with skepticism from analysts and opposition lawmakers. They believe the comment was designed primarily to deflect attention from Turkey’s pressing economic challenges. However, it has not only dominated domestic political discourse but also added to the tense diplomatic relationship between Turkey and Israel, particularly in light of the ongoing conflicts in the region.
Tuesday’s confidential session in Ankara was convened to address concerns that the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon could potentially spill over into neighboring countries, including Turkey. The session was titled “Israel’s occupation of Lebanon and developments in the region,” highlighting the Turkish government’s strong opposition to Israel’s military actions in the Middle East.
Foreign and defense ministers presented assessments of the regional conflicts, with particular emphasis on the risks of further escalation. Turkey, a NATO member and historically one of Israel’s most vocal critics, has taken a firm stance against what it describes as Israel’s “illegal and reckless wars” with militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. In May, Turkey halted trade with Israel and joined a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Israel, in turn, has consistently rejected these accusations, arguing that it is engaged in an existential battle against militant Islamist groups backed by Iran, including Hamas and Hezbollah, which have repeatedly sworn to destroy Israel.
While Tuesday’s parliamentary discussions were held behind closed doors, opposition lawmakers later voiced their dissatisfaction with the government’s presentation, criticizing it for failing to provide new or compelling evidence of an imminent Israeli threat to Turkey.
President Erdogan’s recent remarks on Israel have stirred controversy, both at home and abroad. During his speech to parliament last week, he alleged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was pursuing a vision of a “utopia” or “promised land,” suggesting that Israel’s ambitions extended beyond its current borders and could eventually pose a threat to Turkey.
“After Lebanon, the next place on which Israel will set its eyes will be our homeland,” Erdogan declared, a statement made in front of dozens of foreign ambassadors and government officials. Despite the gravity of this claim, Erdogan did not offer any concrete evidence to support his allegation.
For many political observers, Erdogan’s rhetoric appears to be a calculated move intended to shift public attention away from Turkey’s economic difficulties, including high inflation, unemployment, and rising living costs. Critics argue that the president is using foreign policy and national security issues as a means of deflecting criticism of his government’s handling of the economy. Turkey has been grappling with double-digit inflation, rising poverty rates, and a struggling currency, all of which have sparked widespread discontent among its citizens.
Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was quick to dismiss Erdogan’s warnings about an Israeli threat. “It’s unreasonable to think Netanyahu will conduct an assault on Turkey, which is a NATO member and has a great army,” Ozel said during a press conference. He later reiterated his view, stating that the government’s presentations in parliament failed to convince him or other opposition members that Turkey was in danger of any immediate threat from Israel.
“They didn’t say anything that we don’t know,” Ozel remarked, suggesting that Erdogan’s claims were more about controlling the domestic political narrative than addressing actual security concerns.
Despite the opposition’s skepticism, public opinion in Turkey overwhelmingly supports the government’s hardline stance on Israel. Recent polls indicate that a significant majority of Turks back Erdogan’s criticisms of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, aligning with his broader pro-Palestinian foreign policy. Anti-Israel sentiment runs deep in Turkey, especially in the wake of high civilian casualties in the Gaza conflict and Hezbollah’s growing involvement in Lebanon. Many Turks see Erdogan as a champion of Palestinian rights and an important voice in the broader Muslim world.
In recent days, protesters in Turkey have taken to the streets, marking the anniversary of the war that erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. Demonstrators have called for stronger action from Erdogan’s government, with some urging a more active role in supporting Palestinians and condemning Israel’s military response. While Erdogan has severed trade ties with Israel and pushed for international legal action, critics suggest that Turkey’s actual economic disengagement from Israel may not be as comprehensive as it appears.
Although Turkey officially halted trade with Israel earlier this year, questions have been raised about the enforcement of this ban. Official data indicates that exports to the Palestinian territories have surged six-fold since the trade restrictions were introduced, raising suspicions that Turkish goods may still be reaching Israel through indirect channels. These inconsistencies have fueled speculation that Turkey is maintaining some economic links with Israel, despite its official stance of condemnation.
Opposition figures have seized on this issue, accusing the government of hypocrisy and demanding greater transparency about Turkey’s economic dealings with Israel. The trade discrepancy has become yet another flashpoint in the broader political debate over Erdogan’s foreign policy, which some critics argue is inconsistent and driven more by populist rhetoric than by pragmatic considerations.
As violence continues to escalate in Gaza and Lebanon, there are growing concerns in Ankara about the potential for the conflict to spill over into neighboring regions. Turkey shares borders with Syria and Iraq, both of which have experienced years of instability and war, and the possibility of further destabilization in the Middle East poses significant security risks for Turkey.
Erdogan’s government has long voiced concerns about Israel’s military actions, particularly in relation to its impact on Palestinian civilians. In recent years, Turkey has positioned itself as a key player in the region, advocating for Palestinian statehood and criticizing Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and blockade of Gaza. Erdogan has also cultivated close ties with Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza and has been involved in numerous conflicts with Israel.
Turkey’s diplomatic efforts have been complicated, however, by its tense relationship with Israel, which has deteriorated significantly since the 2010 Gaza flotilla incident. While the two countries briefly restored diplomatic relations in recent years, tensions have flared once again in the wake of the latest round of violence in Gaza and Lebanon.
Turkey’s role in the region is further complicated by its status as a NATO member and its complex relationships with other major powers involved in the Middle East, including Iran, Russia, and the United States. The widening scope of the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon has raised fears that Turkey could be drawn into a broader regional war, either directly or indirectly through its support for Palestinian groups and its opposition to Israel.
