Turkey has been using drones with Israeli-made parts in its attacks on cities within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), despite President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s public condemnations of Israel. On Thursday, a Turkish drone was downed in the Pênciwên district of Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî), revealing parts from an Israeli manufacturer.
Rojnews reported that documents demonstrate Israel’s covert support in supplying drone parts to Turkey. Erdoğan has publicly denounced Israel, labelling it a “terror state” and criticising its actions in Gaza. He has also suggested possible military actions against Israel, drawing parallels with Turkey’s interventions in Karabakh and Libya.
The downed drone in Sulaymaniyah, with images confirming Israeli-made components, demonstrates that military technology collaboration between the two countries continues despite their ongoing verbal conflict.
The recent confrontation between Turkey and Israel centres around a series of sharp exchanges and accusations. Erdoğan has condemned Israeli military actions in Gaza and threatened potential military intervention. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz criticised Erdoğan, accusing him of turning Turkey into a dictatorship and drawing comparisons to Saddam Hussein.
However, experts suggest that the situation may merely be a display intended to consolidate domestic support for both leaders. Gönül Tol, Director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkish Programme, explained, “As the support bases of autocrats become more homogeneous, their irrational statements tend to increase. Erdoğan is facing a similar dynamic, where growing opposition from the YRP makes such rhetoric nearly unavoidable.”
