Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he hopes Israel can avoid a direct clash with Turkey. He also accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of declaring that the Jewish state must be destroyed and that Jerusalem is Turkey's city. The Jerusalem Post reported that Netanyahu made the remarks during a security briefing.
"He says that the State of Israel must be destroyed, that they must return to ruling Jerusalem because it is their city. All these statements are extremely hostile, and we are taking every possibility into account," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said Israel is preparing for all possible scenarios in response to Erdogan's rhetoric. He also said that avoiding a clash remains his aim. "I hope we do not reach a head-on confrontation. At least, that is what I am trying to achieve," he said.
The prime minister said he would welcome a return to the close relationship Israel and Turkey once shared. He held out little hope while the current Turkish leader remains in power. "I do not think that is going to happen under Erdogan's rule," Netanyahu said.
Further remarks attributed to Netanyahu, carried by Open Source Intel, a social media aggregator, have not been confirmed by other outlets. In them, he described Erdogan as seeking a return to the Ottoman Empire. "He forgets there's a country here that we've been attached to for over 3,000 years. We're not in the 16th century when the Ottomans took over here and ruled it for 400 years. There's this power here. It's called the Jewish state in the Jewish homeland," Netanyahu said.
In a speech on Monday, Erdogan accused Israel of working to undermine stability in Syria. "There is good news coming from Syria, but Zionist Israel is doing everything in its power to destabilize that region as well," he said. He made the remark after describing Lebanon as being in a "situation that is not encouraging."
"Israel's attacks on Palestine continue unabated despite the agreements that have been signed," Erdogan added. He described Turkey as "surrounded by a ring of fire" and said his government was working "day and night" to keep the country unharmed.
Without naming Israel, Erdogan warned against "those seeking to tear our region to shreds." He vowed to stay alert to anyone trying to "undermine our morale and sow the seeds of discord in our nation."
In the same speech, Erdogan condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. He said many people, including pilgrims, were killed and hundreds were wounded in an attack on Riyadh airport.
As reported in September, Netanyahu accused Erdogan of hosting Hamas leaders, threatening Greece and seeking control of Syria. After Erdogan's September 24 speech at the UN General Assembly, Defense Minister Israel Katz called him a "paper sultan" in a post on X.
