Israel would “set its sights” on Turkey, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, if it were to defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Erdogan has frequently stated his support for the Palestinian organization as defenders of their homeland. Erdogan was a strong opponent of Israel’s assault in the Palestinian area after Hamas’s strike on October 7.
Among other countries, Israel, the US, and the EU consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization.
“Do not think that Israel will stop in Gaza,” Erdogan told his party lawmakers in the parliament in the capital Ankara.
“Unless it’s stopped… this rogue and terrorist state will set its sights on Anatolia sooner or later,” he said, referring to the large Turkish peninsula also called Asia Minor that comprises more than half of Turkey’s territory.
“We will continue to stand by Hamas, which fights for the independence of its own land and which defends Anatolia,” added Erdogan.
In light of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the Turkish leader stated on Monday that over a thousand Hamas members were receiving medical care in Turkish hospitals.
An AFP count based on Israeli official numbers shows that around 1,170 persons were killed in the attack on October 7, the majority of them civilians.
Approximately 250 captives were also taken by militants; of them, Israel estimates that 128 are still in Gaza, 36 of whom the military claims are dead.
The health ministry in the zone controlled by Hamas reports that over 35,000 people have died as a result of Israel’s bombardment and offensive in Gaza, the majority of them were women and children.
