Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statements against Israel, calling on him to “calm down” and warning that Israel will not tolerate any threat to its security and existence. In an interview with Israeli television Channel 14, Netanyahu said that Ankara’s increasingly harsh rhetoric is worrying and linked it to recent geopolitical changes in the region.

“What is happening in Turkey is the result of the weakening of Iran’s influence. Iran represents the extremist Shiite axis, while Turkey represents the axis of the Muslim Brotherhood, an equally extremist movement,” he said. Commenting on Erdogan’s statements on Jerusalem, Netanyahu said the Turkish president “has forgotten that 400 years of the Ottoman Empire have ended.”

“Today there is a strong state called Israel. There is the Israeli Armed Forces, there is the people of Israel and there is the government of Israel. It would be wise for it to calm down,” the Israeli prime minister declared. Netanyahu stressed that Israel will not allow anyone to threaten the country’s security or existence. “We will not allow anyone to threaten our existence or our security. I believe we have shown what we are capable of,” he said. His statements come after an escalation of rhetoric by Turkish officials in recent weeks. Turkey’s interior minister has reportedly called for the “liberation” of Jerusalem, while Israeli and Western media have reported that Erdogan, during his Eid al-Fitr prayer in March 2025, had prayed to God for the “destruction of Zionist Israel.”

In the interview, Netanyahu also commented on relations with Egypt, following reports of an increase in the Egyptian military presence in the Sinai Peninsula. “I have held discussions with the Egyptian authorities and have made our expectations clear to them. Some of them are already being implemented. It is about respecting the existing agreements between the two countries,” he said, without giving further details. In conclusion, the Israeli prime minister stressed that the balance in the Middle East is constantly changing and that Israel must continue to strengthen its positions. “When one power withdraws, another takes its place. This is how geopolitics always works. The power that must continue to grow is the state of Israel,” Netanyahu concluded.

© BalkansWeb
To become part of the group "Balkanweb" just click: Join Group and your request will be approved immediately. Groups Balkanweb
Label: