International relations expert Hanî El Cemel has accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of lacking the courage to sever ties with Israel despite his public condemnations. El Cemel, speaking to local media, criticised Erdoğan’s duplicity, highlighting his contradictory policies in the region.
“Erdoğan claims to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people while simultaneously continuing Turkey’s aggressive military actions in Syria and Iraq, killing civilians and destroying infrastructure,” said El Cemel. He accused the Turkish president of pursuing personal gain rather than national interests.
El Cemel further claimed that Erdoğan’s recent remarks about Israel potentially targeting Turkey are part of a broader effort to distract from his government’s economic failures. “He uses the expansion of conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine to his advantage, diverting attention from his inability to address Turkey’s domestic economic crisis,” the analyst said.
Turkey’s ongoing operations in Syria and Iraq were also a point of contention. El Cemel pointed out that Erdoğan’s actions in northern Syria, including the destruction of infrastructure and forced ‘Turkification’ policies, expose his hypocrisy. “His government is responsible for state terrorism in Iraq, reducing water supplies and conducting military assaults under the guise of anti-terrorism operations,” El Cemel added.
Despite Erdoğan’s rhetoric against Israel, El Cemel noted that Turkey’s strong ties with Tel Aviv remain intact. “Erdoğan has repeatedly failed to follow through on his promises to cut off relations with Israel or break the siege on Gaza,” he explained. “He simply doesn’t have the courage to sever these ties, despite positioning himself as a leader for the Muslim world.”
Turkey’s parliament held a closed session earlier to discuss regional security concerns following Erdoğan’s statement that Israel may target Turkey. This came after Erdoğan’s speech to parliament, where he condemned Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon and suggested that Turkey could be next on Israel’s agenda. Despite these claims, analysts argue that Erdoğan’s words lack any substantive action against Israel.
