Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that he is cutting off contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to Israel’s actions in Gaza. Erdogan stated that Netanyahu is no longer someone they can talk to and that they have written him off. This decision comes after Israel said it was re-evaluating its relations with Turkey because of the country’s increasingly heated rhetoric about the Israel-Hamas war.
Israel had previously withdrawn all diplomats from Turkey and other regional countries as a security precaution. The Israeli forces have encircled Gaza’s largest city in an attempt to crush Hamas in retaliation for raids into Israel on October 7. These raids reportedly killed around 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took hostages. In response, the health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, claims that over 9,400 Gazans, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israeli strikes and the intensifying ground campaign.
Despite cutting off contact with Netanyahu, Erdogan clarified that Turkey is not severing diplomatic relations with Israel completely. He stated that completely severing ties is not possible, especially in international diplomacy. Erdogan also mentioned that the head of Turkey’s MIT intelligence agency, Ibrahim Kalin, is leading efforts to mediate an end to the war. Kalin is in talks with both the Israeli side and Palestine and Hamas.
Erdogan placed the primary responsibility for the violence on Netanyahu and claimed that he has lost the support of his own citizens. He urged Netanyahu to take a step back and stop the violence. It is clear that tensions between Turkey and Israel have reached a breaking point, with both countries blaming each other for the escalation of violence in Gaza.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing for years, with periodic flare-ups resulting in significant casualties. The international community has called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, but so far, a lasting solution has proven elusive. The recent escalation of violence has led to increased diplomatic tensions between countries, with Turkey and Israel being just one example.
The decision by Erdogan to cut off contact with Netanyahu is a significant development in the ongoing conflict. It further highlights the deep divisions and animosity between the two countries. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact the efforts to mediate an end to the war and whether it will lead to any changes in the dynamics of the conflict.
In conclusion, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that he is breaking off contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to Israel’s actions in Gaza. Erdogan stated that Netanyahu is no longer someone they can talk to and that they have written him off. Despite this decision, Turkey is not severing diplomatic relations with Israel completely. The conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate, with both sides blaming each other for the violence. The international community has called for a peaceful resolution, but a lasting solution remains elusive.
Saturday, November 4, 2023