Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 1, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Turkey’s Erdogan says he is ‘saddened’ by Khamenei’s death
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan listens as Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks during a joint news conference in Istanbul, Turkey, December 30, 2025. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is “saddened” by the death of Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a wave of US and Israeli air strikes.
“I was saddened to learn of the passing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as a result of the attacks that took place yesterday,” he says, according to a post on X, extending Turkey’s “sympathies” to the people of Iran.
Erdogan is a harsh critic of Israel and has previously praised Hamas, the Gaza terror group that is an Iranian proxy. Turkey is also a member of the NATO alliance alongside the United States.
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
The Times of Israel Community.
JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY
Already a member? Log in here