The president of Turkey claimed that Israeli strikes also threaten his country and warned against harm to Turks and Turkish Cypriots.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said today (Wednesday) that Israeli strikes in Syria and Lebanon have reached a point where they also threaten his country, and he warned against further action, saying, "We see comprehensive initiatives led by Israel in the Mediterranean, and no one should pursue adventures there." Erdoğan warned against continued Israeli steps in the region and said, "Israel's aggression threatens the entire world." He added, "If the rights of Turks or Turkish-Cypriots are harmed in the Middle East - our response will be unequivocal and strong."
The Turkish president went on to say, "Turkey's security does not begin in Hatay, but also in Aleppo, Damascus and Beirut. We will not tolerate any 'fait accompli' in our brotherly nations, and we will not turn a blind eye to aggression against them." He also referred to statements in Israel about a "Greater Land of Israel" and declared, "If Allah wills, we will never allow that."
Erdoğan's remarks appear to refer to a report published in December by the Greek news site TA NEA, which said that Israel, Greece and Cyprus are examining the formation of a joint military force in the eastern Mediterranean. According to the report, the proposed force would include about 2,500 troops, ships, fighter jets and infrastructure to be deployed on the Greek islands of Karpathos and Rhodes and in Greece, Cyprus and Israel.
According to that report, Athens and Jerusalem are expected to each send 1,000 troops, while Nicosia would send 500 troops. The report also claimed that the air forces of Israel and Greece would each provide one squadron to the force. Prime Minister Netanyahu responded: “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." (Ed note: This guy, Erdoğan, hates Israel and is always looking for a fight. The funny thing is, he isn't even Arab, nor is the state of Turkey, Arab.) (Read More)
