Turkey may send troops to Israel to help Palestinians: Erdogan

Turkey might enter Israel to help Palestinians, Erdogan says

ANKARA,— Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan hinted on Sunday at the possibility of Turkey intervening in Israel, similar to its previous actions in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, though he did not specify the nature of such an intervention.

Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, broached the topic while lauding Turkey’s defense industry during a speech. “We need to be powerful to prevent Israel from committing such injustices against Palestine. Just as we intervened in Karabakh and Libya, we might take similar actions there,” Erdogan said during a meeting of his ruling AK Party in Rize, his hometown. “There is no reason why we cannot take these steps… We must be strong to act decisively,” he emphasized in his televised address.

Requests for further clarification from AK Party representatives went unanswered. Israel also did not issue an immediate response.

The president appeared to be alluding to Turkey’s past military involvements. In 2020, Turkey dispatched military personnel and Syrian mercenaries to Libya to support the United Nations-recognized Government of National Accord. The current Libyan Prime Minister, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, who leads the Government of National Unity in Tripoli, enjoys Turkish backing.

Turkey has denied having direct involvement in Azerbaijan’s military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The backdrop to Erdogan’s comments includes recent escalations in the Israel-Gaza conflict. On October 7, 2023, militants from the Palestinian group Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by much of the international community, launched a deadly attack on southern Israeli communities and military bases, resulting in over 1,200 fatalities. Israel’s military also reported that Hamas is holding 253 hostages in Gaza.

In response, Israel initiated a military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas, which governs Gaza. This assault was described as an effort to obliterate the militant group “off the face of the earth,” following what was termed the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel’s history.

Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by numerous countries, including the United States, Canada, Egypt, the European Union, Israel, and Japan.

Reports from health officials in Gaza, affiliated with Hamas, estimate that over 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing conflict. However, these figures are disputed due to the officials’ connections to Hamas, with many observers suggesting the actual numbers are significantly lower.

The situation remains tense as the international community watches closely, weighing potential interventions and the broader implications for regional stability.

(With files from Reuters, Agencies)