Erdogan: Struggle against 'genocidal, occupying, expansionist' Zionism is struggle for 'our survival'
Turkish leader’s remarks fit a familiar pattern of post-Oct. 7 rhetoric as ties between Ankara and Jerusalem remain in crisis
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday accused Zionism of threatening Turkey’s survival, in the latest broadside by the Turkish leader since the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023.
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“The genocidal, occupying, expansionist ideology called Zionism threatens not only me, not only our party, not only our alliance, it threatens everyone,” Erdogan said. “When we struggle against Zionism, we are not waging this struggle for ourselves or for personal reasons. We are doing it for our own survival and for the survival of our nation.”
Such language is familiar territory for Erdogan, who has repeatedly cast Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in extreme terms since the Hamas-led October 7 massacre and the ensuing war in Gaza.
He has called Israel a “terrorist state” and an “occupier,” compared Netanyahu to Hitler and Stalin, and accused the Israeli government of “genocidal methods.”
The rhetoric has accompanied a broader rupture in Turkey-Israel ties after a period of rapprochement before the war.
Ankara has maintained contacts with Hamas, hosted delegations from the terrorist group and cut trade and economic ties with Israel, while stopping short of severing diplomatic relations.