Israel rejects role for Turkish peacekeeping forces in Gaza amid heightened inflammatory rhetoric by President Erdoğan

Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli last week slammed a comment made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan earlier this year, when he called on Allah to “destroy and devastate Zionist Israel.” 

Chikli also pointed to Erdoğan’s past statements declaring that Jerusalem is a Muslim city and vowing, “We will not give even a single pebble belonging to Jerusalem to Israel.”

"May Allah, for the sake of His name… destroy and devastate Zionist Israel."

This sentence was not uttered by a Hamas or Hezbollah leader, It was said in a public prayer on March 30, 2025, by the President of Turkey @RTErdogan.

Erdogan is a sworn enemy of Israel and the West,… https://t.co/cH5usZWj9Z

— עמיחי שיקלי - Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) October 20, 2025

He ended his post, “We will not tolerate a Turkish presence, not on our northern border and not on our southern border.” 

Chikli’s remarks against Turkey were reportedly prompted by a report suggesting that Ankara could play a role in the Gaza peace deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump had praised Turkey’s role in –and commitment to – the Gaza peace plan just a few days before. Trump had called Erdoğan a “reliable ally” after signing the Gaza peace plan. 

"This gentleman from a place called Turkey is one of the most powerful in the world,” Trump stated. “He's a reliable ally. He's always there when I need him.” 

During his visit to Israel last week, U.S. Vice President JD Vance also spoke highly of Turkey’s contributions to the peace plan, before saying that Israel would have to agree to a Turkish presence in Gaza. 

“What troops are on the ground in Israel is going to be a question the Israelis have to agree to,” Vance said regarding Turkish troops participating in the international stabilization force during a ceremony to mark the opening of the international ceasefire command center. “I’m sure that Prime Minister Netanyahu will have opinions about that.” 

In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I have very strong opinions about that. You want to guess what they are?” 

Israel and Turkey have experienced a sharp deterioration in relations over Erdoğan’s 22 years in power – as both prime minister and president – amid his transformation of Turkey from a moderate Islamic democracy into a more hardline Islamist state with growing ties to nations hostile toward Israel.

Despite the U.S. administration’s apparent deference toward Erdoğan, Israeli leaders remain focused on his repeated hostile statements about Israel.

After returning from a recent trip to Oman, Erdoğan told a group of reporters, “As Turkey, we are doing our utmost for the ceasefire to be secured. The Hamas side is abiding by the ceasefire. In fact, it is openly stating its commitment to this. Israel, meanwhile, is continuing to violate the ceasefire.” 

“The international community, namely the United States, must do more to ensure Israel's full compliance to the ceasefire and agreement," Erdoğan was quoted as saying in Turkish state media. “Israel must be forced to keep its promises via sanctions, [and the] halting of arms sales.” 

The comments followed Hamas’ failure to return all the bodies of deceased hostages and several attempted attacks on IDF troops beyond the Yellow Line, one of which killed two Israeli soldiers. Erdoğan, however, did not specify what violations of the ceasefire agreement he was referring to.. 

Erdoğan and his administration have consistently made aggressive and combative statements about Israel over the past two years. 

In November 2023, one month after the Hamas attacks on Israel and just days after the start of the IDF’s ground campaign in Gaza, Erdoğan declared in a meeting of his AKP party, “Oh Israel; you have an atom bomb, a nuclear bomb – and you are threatening [others] with it. We know this. And now the moment of your death is coming. Have as many nuclear bombs as you want. Have whatever you want. You're a goner.” 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, after the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, also warned Netanyahu.

“There has never been a place over which cruelty and the tyrant reigned for long; there is no example of such a thing in history. The tyrant will be erased from history along with his cruelty. You will see this happen to Netanyahu as well.” 

Fidan’s comments were made during a speech rejecting any Israeli presence in Gaza when the war ends.

On Sunday, Netanyahu affirmed again that Israel will decide which nations participate in the international peacekeeping force in Gaza – apparently referring to a Turkish or Qatari presence. 

“We are in control of our security, and we have also made it clear regarding international forces that Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us, and this is how we operate and will continue to operate,” Netanyahu said during his comments at the start of the Cabinet meeting. 

“This is, of course, acceptable to the United States as well, as its most senior representatives have expressed in recent days,” he added.