Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli warned on Thursday that a scenario in which Turkey takes military action against Israel is entirely possible, in a stark interview with Kan News that reflects growing alarm within the Israeli government over deteriorating relations with Ankara.
Chikli said he has been closely following statements coming out of Turkey in recent months and that a scenario in which Turkey acts militarily against Israel is entirely possible. He also took aim at President Trump's warming relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying that from Israel's perspective, Trump's friendliness toward Erdogan is deeply problematic, as is NATO's broader posture toward Ankara.
The minister said Israel has learned it must listen closely to what world leaders say and to what enemies of the Jewish state say. He pointed to recent remarks by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan describing Israel as a burden on humanity that can no longer be tolerated, calling the comment extremely serious.
At the same time, Chikli argued that Israel views one outcome from this week's NATO summit in Ankara as a diplomatic achievement. He noted that no announcement was made confirming that Trump would supply Turkey with F-35 fighter jets, a possibility Trump had floated alongside Erdogan, and credited that outcome in significant part to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's willingness to openly voice his objections, along with heavy pressure applied by Greece and Cyprus.
Chikli stressed that Turkey's harsh rhetoric toward Israel is not a new phenomenon but has reached unprecedented levels. He said that in all his time following Turkish statements, he has never seen anything comparable to what has emerged in recent months, including declarations that Turkey intends to liberate Jerusalem and repeat in Israel what it carried out in Syria, language he said had simply never been used before.
Relations between Israel and Turkey have been at a deep low for years, with Erdogan repeatedly attacking Israel in harsh terms. He said recently that Israeli strikes in Syria and Lebanon have reached a point where they threaten Turkey itself. Netanyahu responded at the time by calling Erdogan an antisemitic dictator who is committing genocide against the Kurds, supports the Hamas terror organization, represses his own people and imprisons political rivals, saying he is the last person who can lecture the State of Israel on morality.
Trump's remarks at the summit raise difficult questions about the depth of the Turkish threat to Israel, and about the decisive role the United States plays in restraining Erdogan. Further updates are expected to follow.
