ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey could intervene in Israel as it has done in the past in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, but did not specify what kind of intervention he was suggesting.
Erdogan, who has been a vocal critic of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, began discussing the war in a speech praising his country’s defense industry.
“We have to be very strong so that Israel cannot do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we could do the same thing,” Erdogan said at a meeting of his ruling AKP party in his hometown of Rize.
“There is no reason why we cannot do it… We must be strong to be able to take these steps,” Erdogan added in his televised speech.
AKP representatives did not respond to calls seeking further details on Erdogan’s statements. Israel did not immediately comment.
The president appeared to be referring to Turkey’s past actions.
In 2020, Turkey sent military personnel to Libya to support the UN-recognized Libyan Government of National Accord.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, who heads the national unity government in Tripoli, is backed by Turkey.
Turkey has denied any direct role in Azerbaijan’s military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, but said last year it was using “all means”, including military training and modernization, to support its close ally.
(Reporting by Ece Toksabay, editing by Andrew Heavens)
