Turkish official dismisses Netanyahu’s comments as ‘long-standing hysteria’

A spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hits back at remarks made yesterday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alluding to Turkey dreaming of “reestablishing an empire.”

“It is ironic for Israeli leaders to speak about imperialistic ambitions of others in this region while they have just committed one of the worst genocides in history,” writes presidential spokesman Burhanettin Duran on X.

“Israel has been a destabilizing force and their long-standing hysteria about Türkiye’s power and influence is simply comical,” he adds. “Under President Erdoğan’s leadership, Türkiye has been a source of stability and peace. In contrast, the Netanyahu government brought blood and tears to the region.”

Duran accuses Israel of “trying to disguise its territorial ambitions as national security requirements, as they remain an occupying power in Palestine and Syria.”

He says that no “cheap shots and ridiculous statements like that of the Israeli Prime Minister will deter us from our support for our Palestinian brothers and sisters.”

With the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, Israel has expressed deep concern about Turkey gaining a stronger foothold in the country. Israel has also strongly pushed back against Turkey’s desire to play a role in the International Stabilization Force set to deploy inside Gaza next year.