As Turkey claims credit, source says Ankara had nothing to do with Netanyahu not attending Egypt summit

As a Turkish government official claims to international media that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s diplomatic push led to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opting to withdraw his participation in the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, a source tells The Times of Israel that Netanyahu’s decision preceded Ankara’s warnings on the matter.

The Turkish government official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations, says Erdogan launched a diplomatic initiative that gained support from several other nations, ultimately causing Netanyahu to nix his participation.

The Turkish official declines to confirm media reports claiming Erdogan’s plane circled above the Red Sea as the president threatened to boycott the meeting, and that it only landed once it was clear Netanyahu would not be present.

But a source with knowledge of the matter tells The Times of Israel that, while Erdogan did threaten to boycott the summit, his warning came after Netanyahu had already announced that he would not be attending, despite Egypt’s invitation.

Erdogan told Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi that he would not take part in the summit “if any Israeli plane lands,” according to the official.

Netanyahu’s office said he would not attend the summit due to the Jewish holiday of Simhat Torah, shortly after it was confirmed he planned to attend.