Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz has urged NATO to expel Turkey, a move that could escalate tensions between the two nations.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry highlighted recent threats from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who hinted at a potential invasion of Israel.
Katz has directed diplomats to urgently engage with all NATO members to condemn Turkey and push for its expulsion.
This response follows Erdogan’s comments on Sunday, where he suggested Turkey might enter Israel as it had previously done in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, although he did not specify the nature of the intervention.
Erdogan’s statements, made during a speech praising Turkey’s defense industry, came as a strong denouncement of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
In a televised address, Erdogan stated, “We must be strong enough so that Israel cannot undertake such ludicrous acts against Palestine. Just as we entered Nagorno-Karabakh and Libya, we might do something similar [with Israel].”
Erdogan referred to Turkey’s past military actions, including the 2020 deployment of troops to Libya to support the UN-recognized Government of National Accord.
Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, head of Libya’s unity government in Tripoli, enjoys Turkish support.
Turkey denies any direct role in Azerbaijan’s military operations in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh but has stated it uses “all means,” including military development and training, to support its close ally.