Turkish government worried about risk of Israeli strike on Hamas officials in its territory

In a recent statement, Turkish Defense Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk warned that Israel could “drag the entire region” into disaster.

Aktürk’s remarks came during a weekly press briefing, in which he addressed a variety of topics related to the Turkish Ministry of Defense, including its activities in Syria, new weapons systems, and the country’s participation in various multinational exercises. 

However, the Defense Ministry’s spokesman had his harshest comments to say about Israel. 

Speaking after the Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, Aktürk reiterated claims that Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians in Gaza, targeting innocent civilians, and carrying out genocide. 

Accusing Israel of making “terrorism a state policy,” Aktürk said, “The atrocities inflicted on Palestinians condemned to starvation in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli government are escalating exponentially with the occupation of Gaza city center, and the genocide continues before the eyes of the entire world.” 

“Israel's targeting of innocent people, homes, tents, and refugee centers in various parts of Gaza reveals the extent of its recklessness and the scale of the humanitarian tragedy it has inflicted,” Aktürk continued. 

He accused Israel of trying to “deepen instability” in the region, via the strike targeting the Hamas leaders. 

“Furthermore, with its despicable attack on Qatar, Israel has added another layer to its unlawful attacks in the region,” Aktürk claimed. “Thus, it has been once again demonstrated that Israel has made terrorism a state policy, seeks to deepen instability, thrives on conflict, and is completely opposed to peace.” 

Aktürk's statements were echoed by Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani on Sunday, who said, “The strike can only be described as state terrorism," before warning that "Israel’s aggression will only lead to the failure of the negotiation process."

Aktürk again appeared to call for an active military force to confront Israel.

“We remind the international community that unless Israel is stopped by active means, it will further expand its reckless attacks, as it did in Qatar, and drag the entire region, including its own country, into disaster,” the spokesman said. “We reiterate our call for greater responsibility.” 

“We emphasize that we stand with Qatar with all our resources against this attack, which is a clear violation of its sovereignty,” the spokesman said as he concluded his remarks about Israel. 

Ahead of the Arab–Islamic extraordinary summit in Qatar, FM Hakan Fidan said on Sunday that “The largest issue in our region is Israel’s constant narrative of expansion.” 

Meanwhile, since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, Turkey has taken over significant territory in Syria, and is currently estimated to occupy over 8,000 square kilometers in northern Syria. 

While Israeli leaders have warned that Hamas leaders could be targeted anywhere, analysts are divided over the possibility of a similar strike on Turkish soil, due to Turkey’s membership in NATO. 

Turkey has been increasingly hostile to Israel, especially following the start of the Oct. 7 Gaza war, following Hamas’ brutal massacres in southern Israel. 

Shortly after the attacks, Turkey blamed Israel, and refused to condemn Hamas for the invasion, nor to call the organization a terror group. 

In August, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan instead called Israel “a terrorist state” while confirming that Turkey was severing all trade ties with the Jewish State, as well as preventing Israeli ships from docking at Turkish ports. 

Those actions were merely the lates in a long history of Turkish support for the terror group at the expense of relations with Israel, which were once some of the strongest ties in the Middle East. Turkey, like Qatar, hosts several Hamas officials in its country who were exiled from Palestinian Territories due to their terror activities against Israel. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unrepentant about the strikes, telling Qatar to either expel Hamas or bring them to justice.

“I say to Qatar and all nations who harbor terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will,” Netanyahu said last week.

His comment was seen by some analysts as a veiled threat to Turkey as well.