War-criminal Israel calls for Türkiye's removal from NATO over Erdoğan's Gaza intervention remarks
The recent comment by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about potential military intervention in Gaza has raised alarm for the Israeli government. Prime Minister Netanyahu's administration, which has been accused of war crimes, responded by lodging a complaint with Western allies and requesting NATO to remove Türkiye from its membership.
- Diplomacy
- Agencies and A News
- Published Date: 04:29 | 30 July 2024
- Modified Date: 04:29 | 30 July 2024
Following military intervention warnings by Turkish President Erdoğan against Israel in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has called for Türkiye to be expelled from NATO.
"Erdoğan has made Türkiye a member of the Iranian axis of evil," Katz said on Monday evening by calling on all NATO member states to "expel Türkiye immediately."
He said Türkiye had massively violated NATO principles by "threatening to invade a democratic Western country without provocation." The United States and the Western world must "condemn Erdoğan and stop his destructive activities."
On Sunday Erdoğan threatened Israel with military intervention, citing previous actions in Nagorno-Karabakh and Libya.
"Just as we entered Nagorno-Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we will do the same with them," the Turkish ruler said at an event of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Rize on the Black Sea.
Erdoğan was referring to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, where he supported Azerbaijan with drones and other military aid. Ankara is also backing the internationally recognized government of Libya with military equipment and personnel.
Following that Katz compared Erdoğan to Saddam Hussein, the former leader of Iraq who was deposed and executed following US intervention there.
"Erdoğan is following in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein and is threatening an attack on Israel," Katz said on the X platform early on Monday.
"He should just remember what happened there and how it ended."
Since the beginning of the Gaza war, relations between Israel and Türkiye have deteriorated drastically. Erdoğan called Hamas a "resistance movement" and compared Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.
In mid-July, Erdoğan declared that his country would no longer agree to cooperation between NATO and its partner Israel in future until lasting peace was achieved in the Palestinian Territories.
NATO did not initially comment on Katz's statements when asked. The world's largest defence alliance does not have any procedures that provide for sanctions or even exclusion in the event of undesirable behaviour.
However, Türkiye is considered an important ally despite frequent differences.
The country is an important base for the fight against the Daesh terrorist group and has the second-largest armed forces of all alliance states after the United States.
Due to its strategically important location on the Black Sea and its borders with Iraq and Syria, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg likes to describe Türkiye as a "key country for Europe's security."
- Erdoğan: Disgraceful scene in Paris Olympics offended not only Catholic world but also us as much as them
- Erdoğan: Lawless Israel now threat not only to Palestine, Lebanon but entire world
- Erdoğan, Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto meet in Ankara
- Gazan detainee sexually abused by Israeli soldiers in ‘critical condition’