Citizens are furious and demanding his removal following the arrest of Istanbul's mayor and the violent suppression of the opposition.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took an unprecedented step Sunday morning when he publicly called for Israel's destruction. "May Allah bring ruin and destruction upon Zionist Israel", Erdogan said in a speech delivered for Eid al-Fitr, as crowds watched and recorded his words.

The Turkish president's hate speech led to an immediate and harsh response from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who posted on X: "The dictator Erdogan has revealed his antisemitic face. Erdogan is dangerous to the region, as well as to his own people, as is being proven during these very days. Let's hope that NATO member countries will understand this, and the sooner the better".

The Israeli Foreign Ministry joined the sharp criticism with an English tweet: "Everyone knows what Erdogan has done to peoples in the region, from Cyprus to Syria, everyone sees what he is doing to his own people (and to Pikachu) and everyone hears what he wants to do to the Jewish state. The true face has been revealed to all". The surprising mention of the Pokémon character Pikachu in the official statement caused a stir on social media.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry rushed to respond to Sa'ar's comments, publishing a condemnation of the Israeli Foreign Minister's statements.

Tensions between the countries reached a peak during an especially sensitive period. Just one day before Erdogan's speech, the Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned Israeli attacks in Lebanon. An official statement said the attacks "once again expose Israel's blatant disregard for international law and its ongoing threat to the region's security and stability".

In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry published a harsh statement: "While violently suppressing his own citizens and carrying out mass arrests of political rivals, Erdogan pretends to preach lofty values to the international community. In Erdogan's Turkey, there is no justice, no law, and no freedom. Israel doesn't need Erdogan's ridiculous moral preaching. Israel acts to protect itself and its citizens from real threats and actual attacks – and it will continue to do so".

Parallel to the diplomatic confrontation, Turkey is dealing with internal turmoil. About two weeks ago, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, known as Erdogan's most significant political rival, was arrested. The arrest was carried out as part of what was described as a corruption case, just days before İmamoğlu was supposed to be selected as the opposition party's candidate in the presidential elections.

İmamoğlu's arrest sparked an unprecedented wave of protest across Turkey, with massive demonstrations in more than 12 cities, described as the largest the country has seen in the last decade. According to reports, approximately 2.5 million protesters took to the streets to protest İmamoğlu's arrest and government policies.

The Turkish police responded harshly to the wave of protest and arrested at least 343 demonstrators. Additionally, there were reports of police raids on the homes of many protesters.

On the military front, the IDF carried out an extensive attack last week against the Syrian Air Force T4 base in the Tadmor area of the Syrian desert. In the attack, the base's infrastructure was destroyed, which was previously under Russian control during the Assad era. In Israel, there is concern that the Turkish army or Ankara's proxy forces are preparing to use the base. According to reports, Israel is determined to prevent Turkish elements, pro-Turkish elements, or the new regime in Syria supported by Erdogan's government from using this base.

The current tension between Israel and Turkey is taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis in Gaza, as Erdogan uses the international stage for harsh criticism against Israel. While the Turkish president focuses on accusations against Israel, he is facing growing internal opposition in Turkey.

Relations between Israel and Turkey have experienced ups and downs over the years, but Erdogan's recent statements and Israel's harsh responses place the relations between the countries at a low point. While there were periods of improved relations in the past, the Turkish president's latest words mark a significant escalation in diplomatic tension.

NATO member countries, the military alliance that Turkey is a member of, have not yet officially responded to Erdogan's call for Israel's destruction or to the Israeli Foreign Minister's claims regarding the danger the Turkish president poses to the region.

In Israel, officials continue to monitor developments in Turkey and Erdogan's statements, as official sources emphasize Israel's determination to protect its citizens and interests in the region. These developments are occurring during a sensitive period in the Middle East, as Israel deals with threats from various factors in the region.

Erdogan's recent statements and Israel's harsh responses illustrate the deepening rift between the countries, as both adhere to their positions without signs of willingness to ease tensions in the near future.

Photo: AP