Turkiye may enter Israel to aid Palestinians, says Erdogan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan hinted on Sunday that Turkiye might intervene in Israel to support Palestinians, similar to its past actions in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel's offensive in Gaza, made these remarks during a speech highlighting Turkiye's defence industry.

Erdogan, speaking at a meeting of his ruling AK Party in Rize, stated, "We must be very strong so that Israel can't do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them."

He added, "There is no reason why we cannot do this... We must be strong so that we can take these steps."

The comments, which were broadcast on television, did not specify the nature of the potential intervention. Representatives from the AK Party did not provide further details, and there was no immediate response from Israel.

Erdogan's remarks appeared to reference Turkiye's previous military actions. In 2020, Turkiye deployed military personnel to Libya to support the United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord. Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Al-Dbeibah, leading the Government of National Unity in Tripoli, is supported by Turkiye.

Although Turkiye has denied direct involvement in Azerbaijan's military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, it has admitted to using "all means," including military training and modernisation, to aid its ally. This historical context suggests Erdogan's comments might be an indication of Turkiye's readiness to support Palestinians through similar means.