Tayyip Erdogan hits back at Netanyahu

Tayyip Erdogan hits back at Netanyahu

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hit back at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the two leaders exchanged sharp remarks, with Erdogan mocking Israel’s relatively recent establishment as a state.

According to foreign media reports, the dispute began after Netanyahu said Israel had no reason to fear Türkiye and argued that the country had survived despite the rise and fall of several empires throughout history.

“We are not afraid of Türkiye,” Netanyahu said, stressing that Israel had remained in existence despite the disappearance of various empires.

Erdogan responded with a pointed remark, questioning Netanyahu’s reference to past empires and highlighting the relatively young age of the modern Israeli state.

“Which empires are you talking about? Your country is younger than even my brother,” Erdogan said, according to the reports.

The Turkish president’s comment referred to his brothers, Muhammad Erdogan, who was born in 1928, and Hasan Erdogan, who was born in 1929. The State of Israel was established in 1948, meaning the modern Israeli state is younger than both of Erdogan’s brothers.

The exchange adds to the increasingly strained rhetoric between Erdogan and Netanyahu. The Turkish president has repeatedly criticised Israel’s policies toward Palestinians and has taken a strong stance against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, has frequently rejected Erdogan’s criticism and defended Israel’s military and political position.

The latest verbal clash highlights the deep political differences between the Turkish and Israeli governments, particularly over the Gaza conflict and the broader Israeli-Palestinian issue.