The Israeli minister of culture and sports has said Turkey should be treated as an “enemy state”, warning it could become Israel’s next major adversary.
Speaking to Israeli news outlet Srugim on Monday, Miki Zohar made the remarks during a discussion about the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, which sailed earlier this week from the Turkish port city of Marmaris and was later raided by Israeli forces.
“We must begin to treat Turkey as an enemy state,” Zohar said.
“If Turkey chooses the path of war with us, it will undoubtedly pay a very heavy price. Israel knows how to defend itself and how to harm those who harm it.”
The minister added that Ankara would “no doubt pay a huge price” if it went to war with Israel.
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He also claimed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said he would build an army to conquer Israel. Although Erdogan has been a fierce and vocal critic of the Israeli government, he has not publicly declared any intention to go to war with Israel.
“There were Iranians who thought the same thing, and look where they are now. If the Turks think the same thing, they will be in a much worse situation,” Zohar said.
His comments came after Israeli forces intercepted several vessels in international waters after they departed from Turkey as part of the Gaza-bound aid flotilla mission.
Israeli media reported that the flotilla had been divided into “European boats” and “Turkish boats”, with the Israeli military allegedly planning to separate the vessels by nationality.
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However, organisers rejected the claims, saying the flotilla did not include any Turkish-flagged vessels.
“The Israeli military is fabricating an outright lie to isolate specific vessels and invoke past incidents – specifically the 2010 lethal assault on the Mavi Marmara, with which GSF has no affiliation,” they said.
The raid drew international criticism, with Turkey’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemning Israel.
“Israel’s attacks and intimidation policies will in no way prevent the international community’s pursuit of justice and solidarity with the Palestinian people,” the ministry said in a statement.
Tensions between Turkey and Israel have escalated in recent months, with Israeli politicians from both the government and opposition increasingly comparing Turkey to Iran.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, now a leading opposition figure, said at a conference in Washington in February that Turkey was “the next Iran”.
Analysts have also suggested Turkey could replace Iran as Israel’s principal regional rival, amid growing tensions over the genocide in Gaza and competing influence in Syria.
In an opinion piece for Maariv, columnist Boaz Golani wrote last month that Iran “will be forced to vacate the role of Israel’s great enemy”, arguing that either Turkey or Pakistan could emerge as its replacement.
