Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have traded accusations of genocide and state-sponsored terrorism, marking a sharp escalation in diplomatic hostilities between the two nations.
The clash was sparked by Erdogan’s cautious response to a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Netanyahu responded on X, formerly Twitter, by attacking the Turkish leader’s ties to Tehran and his treatment of Kurdish populations.
“Israel, under my leadership, will continue to fight against the Iranian terrorist regime and its allies, unlike Erdogan who helps them and slaughters his Kurdish citizens,” Netanyahu said.
The exchange follows Erdogan’s warning that “provocations” could derail the fragile truce between Washington and Tehran. During a call with President Donald Trump, the Turkish leader urged that the temporary cessation of hostilities be used to secure a permanent peace.
The row intensified as Ankara officials labelled Netanyahu a “criminal” whose political survival depends on regional chaos. Presidential spokesperson Burhanettin Duran accused the Israeli leader of “committing genocide in Gaza” while lashing out in desperation at Turkey.
The verbal conflict coincides with a symbolic move by Istanbul prosecutors to seek multi-thousand-year sentences for Netanyahu and other top Israeli ministers. The charges relate to the interception of the “Freedom Flotilla” aid convoy last summer.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also joined the fray, dismissing Erdogan as a “paper tiger” and accusing him of presiding over “show trials.”
“A member of the Muslim Brotherhood, who slaughtered the Kurds, accuses Israel—which is defending itself against his Hamas allies—of genocide,” Katz said, suggesting the Turkish president “would do better to remain silent.”