Turkey Recalls Ambassador From Israel Over Gaza Conflict
Istanbul, Turkey: In response to the escalating violence in Gaza, Turkey announced on Saturday that it would recall its ambassador to Israel and sever contacts with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This decision comes ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s challenging visit to Turkey.
Turkey, previously working to mend relations with Israel, has taken a stronger stance against both Israel and its Western allies, particularly the United States, due to the rising death toll among Palestinian civilians. The Turkish foreign ministry stated that Ambassador Sakir Ozkan Torunlar is being recalled for consultations “in view of the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in Gaza caused by the continuing attacks by Israel against civilians, and Israel’s refusal (to accept) a ceasefire.”
Israeli forces have surrounded Gaza’s largest city in an effort to crush Hamas following raids into Israel on October 7. Israeli officials claim that these raids resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,400 people, mostly civilians, with around 240 people being taken hostage. However, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reports that around 9,500 people, predominantly women and children, have been killed in Israeli strikes and the intensifying ground campaign.
Turkish media quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stating, “Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off.” Israel had previously withdrawn all diplomats from Turkey and other regional countries as a security precaution. The Israeli foreign ministry announced last weekend that it was reconsidering its relations with Ankara due to Turkey’s increasingly inflammatory rhetoric regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Despite the strained relations, Erdogan emphasized that completely severing ties between the two sides is not feasible in international diplomacy. He mentioned that the head of Turkey’s MIT intelligence agency, Ibrahim Kalin, is leading efforts to mediate an end to the war. Erdogan also held Netanyahu primarily responsible for the violence, stating that he had “lost the support of his own citizens” and should take a step back to halt the conflict.
Last year, Israel and Turkey had agreed to reinstate ambassadors after a decade of strained relations. They were also discussing a US-backed natural gas pipeline project that could have facilitated closer and longer-lasting cooperation. However, Erdogan’s recent rally in Istanbul accused the Israeli government of behaving like a “war criminal” and seeking to “eradicate” Palestinians.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Ankara will be met with further protests organized by the IHH humanitarian relief fund. This group, which previously sparked Israeli raids with a flotilla to Gaza in 2010, plans to hold a protest march and car rally at a military base in southeastern Turkey that houses US weapons and troops. Blinken, who urged Israeli leaders to do more to protect civilians in Gaza, had left Israel without any significant progress.
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