Erdogan says Israel's 'aggression' poses threat to Turkey, whole world and must be stopped

Urges world powers to take clearer stance against Israel

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Israel's attacks on Syria and Lebanon had reached a ​point where they also threaten Turkey, adding Israel's "aggression" posed a ‌threat to the whole world and must be stopped.

NATO member Turkey has been one of the fiercest critics of Israel's assaults on Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon, saying Israel ​was the biggest obstacle to regional peace. It has halted all ​trade with Israel and called for measures against it at ⁠international courts.

"The attacks by [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his network of ​murder on Lebanon and Syria have brought the issue to a point where ​it also threatens Turkey," Erdogan told lawmakers from his ruling AK Party in parliament, and added that Ankara's security was tied to that of these two countries.

Erdogan ​also said Israel was leading a "sneaky effort" to destabilise African countries and ​the Mediterranean by igniting "the fire of discord" on the ethnically split island of Cyprus.

"These small entities, ‌whose ⁠ambitions far exceed their size, have boarded Israel's boat of mischief, taken on the role of Zionist subcontractors, and are pursuing some pipe dreams in the Eastern Mediterranean," he said, without elaborating.

BREAKING: Israel's aggression poses threat to whole world, must be stopped, says Turkiye's Erdogan

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"Nobody should chase adventures... I want ​everyone to know ​that if the ⁠rights of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots are violated in the Eastern Mediterranean, our response will be very clear and ​very strong."

Turkey, Iran's neighbour, has blamed Israel's "provocations" for ​starting the ⁠US-Iran war.

Erdogan on Wednesday urged world powers to take a clearer stance against Israel, saying it was emboldened by the "silence of the international community".

"Pulling Israel ⁠back ​to within the bounds of the rule ​of law has become a shared duty not just for certain countries, but for all of ​humanity," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit back at Erdogan’s criticism of Israel, calling him an “antisemitic dictator” and rejecting his remarks on Israeli “aggression” in the region.

In a statement on X, Netanyahu accused Erdogan of targeting minorities and said he was unfit to criticise Israel.

“The antisemitic dictator Erdogan, who is carrying out genocide against the Kurds, supports the Hamas terrorist organisation, oppresses his own people, and imprisons political opponents, is the last person who can preach morality to Israel,” Netanyahu said.

The antisemitic dictator Erdoğan – who is committing genocide against the Kurds, supports the Hamas terrorist organization, oppresses his own people and imprisons political rivals – is the last person who can lecture the State of Israel on morality.

The State of Israel and the…

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 10, 2026

He also defended Israel’s military operations, saying the Israel Defence Forces would continue to act against threats in the region.

“Israel and the IDF, the most moral army in the world, will continue to act with strength against Iran and its proxies, which threaten the Middle East and the entire world,” he added.