ISTANBUL: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday that Israel "cannot live without an enemy" and its government was now trying to portray Türkiye as one. Tensions between Türkiye and Israel have steadily escalated since the Gaza war erupted following Hamas's October 7, 2023, cross border attack in Israel. The dispute entered a new phase over the weekend after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned US counterpart Donald Trump of "possible provocations and sabotage" that could jeopardise an initial ceasefire arrangement in the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Saturday that Israel would continue to confront Tehran and its regional allies. "After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy," Fidan said in a televised interview with the state run Anadolu news agency. "We see that not only Netanyahu's administration but also some figures in the opposition — though not all — are seeking to declare Türkiye the new enemy," he said. "This is a new development in Israel... turning into a state strategy," he added.
Türkiye and Israel have frequently been at loggerheads in the past, including over the Israeli military operation in Gaza and over the future of Syria. A 2010 raid by Israeli forces against a flotilla of civilian ships trying to break Israel's navy blockade of Gaza caused lasting bitterness between the two regional powers. That raid against the flotilla, which was co-organised by a Turkish rights group, resulted in the death of nine Turkish activists and a US activist. — AFP
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