Turkey-Israel relations: After the shocking attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital Doha, Turkey, under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed apprehension that his country could be the next target of Israel.
Turkey has said that just as Hamas leaders were targeted in Qatar, a similar attack could take place in Turkey. Readers should note that there exists high tension between Turkey and Israel over Syria, where Turkey has started increasing its influence after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government last year and the fact that Israel does not want Turkish troops in Syria under any circumstances. Here are all the details you need to know about the Turkey-Israel relations.
In a statement that has shocked the world, Turkish Defense Ministry spokesman Zeki Akturk has said that Israel’s reckless action could push the entire region into chaos.
How are Israel and Turkey relations?
Israel and Turkey were once strong partners but relations deteriorated since the 2000s. Tensions between the two countries increased further with President Erdogan’s growing influence, especially over influence in Syria. Erdogan has long been a supporter of Palestine and Hamas and has been criticizing Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu since the beginning of the Gaza war. Notably, Erdogan is also close to Qatari leaders and is scheduled to visit Qatar this week.
What will happen if Israel attacks Turkey?
Turkey is a NATO country and is ahead of Israel in military power. If Israel attacks Turkey, it will violate NATO’s Article 5 and the question will arise whether all 30 NATO countries will take action against Israel. Meanwhile, Turkey has stepped up its military preparations and recently launched the Steel Dawn air defense system.
Story highlights:
- Israel has recently attacked Qatar.
- Turkey now suspects that Israel may attack the country after Qatar.
- Israel and Turkey were once strong partners.
India expresses concern over Israeli strikes in Qatar
In a significant statement, India expressed deep concern over reports of Israeli airstrikes in Doha, Qatar, urging all parties to exercise restraint and prioritise diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation in the region, as per a report by IANS news agency.
In an official statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the government said, “We have seen reports about the Israeli strikes in Doha earlier today. We are deeply concerned by this development and its impact on the security situation in the region.”