Erdogan Calls for Israel’s Destruction

“May Allah make Zionist Israel destroyed and devastated,” Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prayed on March 30. This invocation was not simply a rhetorical flourish, an aberration, or simple political posturing—it was an authentic expression of Erdogan’s longstanding antagonism towards Israel. Since taking office more than 22 years ago, Erdogan has not only heaped verbal abuse on Israel but supported terrorist groups, like Hamas, actively working for its destruction. Yet, he has only grown more bellicose since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack and, in particular, once the United States approved the sale of upgraded F-16s to Turkey in January 2024. There are three good reasons to worry that these might be more than just words.

First, almost everything Erdogan does, including this threat against Israel, is geared towards maintaining his now two-decade-old grip on power. Being tough on Israel might be just what he needs as his popularity sags, including among the Islamist base he once easily won.

Second, Erdogan is highly pragmatic. He tones down his antisemitism when he thinks it might impede him from getting something he wants from the United States. Recent positive comments by President Donald Trump about Erdogan, however, mean that the Turkish leader feels no such constraint currently.

Third, and most troubling, Turkey and Israel now not only effectively share a border in Syria but are militarily operating in the same space. This raises the real possibility of, if not outright hostilities, then accidents, misunderstanding, and friction that, fueled by Erdogan’s hateful pronouncements, could easily escalate.    

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