Türkiye won’t stay silent as Israel plunges region into bloodbath: Erdogan

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that the war launched against Iran is pushing the Middle East deeper into instability, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of expanding conflict across the region.

Speaking at the Justice and Development Party’s Expanded Provincial Chairs Meeting at the party’s congress centre in Ankara on Thursday, Erdogan said the war had plunged the region into one of the most painful periods of the past century.

“The war started against Iran continues to drown our region in the smell of blood and gunpowder,” Erdogan said.

“Children with no guilt are becoming the targets of missiles while sitting in their classrooms.”

The Turkish president described the current moment as a historic turning point for the Middle East, warning that Israel’s hatred and ideological extremism were pushing the region towards disaster.

“Our region is living through the most painful days of the last century,” he said.

“A genocide network blinded by hatred is dragging our geography towards catastrophe while hiding behind religious arguments.”

Erdogan stressed that Türkiye would not differentiate between neighbouring nations or remain silent in the face of the suffering of regional peoples.

“Let everyone be certain of this: we never make distinctions among our brothers and neighbours, and we will never remain indifferent to their pain,” he said.

“As Türkiye and the Turkish nation, we do not abandon the peoples we consider friends and brothers in difficult times.”

Lebanon

According to Erdogan, the Netanyahu government is not only targeting Iran but is also moving step by step towards implementing plans to occupy Lebanon.

For nearly a month, Erdogan said, the ongoing attacks have ignored all international principles and norms.

He questioned whether those carrying out the strikes saw any difference between the identities of the people affected by the violence.

“For 27 days, the aggressors who disregard every principle, value and norm have shown us something clearly,” he said.

“In their eyes, does it matter whether we are Shia or Sunni, Turkish, Kurdish, Arab or Persian?”

Expressing deep sorrow over the civilian toll of the conflict, Erdogan drew attention to the shared grief felt across the region.

“With a bleeding heart, I ask: what difference is there between the tears shed in Isfahan and Tehran and those shed in Erbil, Baghdad, Beirut or Riyadh?”

Although he characterised the conflict as fundamentally Israel’s war, Erdogan argued that the consequences were being borne by a far wider population.

“This may be Israel’s war, but the heavy price is being paid first by Muslims and ultimately by all humanity,” he said.

Zionist strategies

Erdogan also warned against attempts to deepen divisions among regional communities, accusing Zionist strategies of seeking to inflame sectarian and ethnic tensions.

“We reject any action or debate that would fuel hostility among brotherly peoples or support the divide-and-rule plans of Zionism targeting our region,” he said.

The Turkish president said that once the sound of bombs and missiles fades, the peoples of the Middle East will still have to live together.

“After the deadly roar of bombs and missiles falls silent, we will continue to live together in this geography,” Erdogan said. “No one should forget this reality.”

Erdogan also condemned restrictions on Muslim worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque, saying that for the first time since 1967, Eid prayers had not been performed at the holy site.

“This lawlessness is an insolent attack on the faith of two billion Muslims,” he said, adding that under no circumstances could Muslims’ right to worship at Al-Aqsa be prevented or banned.

Reaffirming Türkiye’s diplomatic approach, Erdogan said Ankara would continue to pursue a foreign policy centred on peace and stability.

“We will not step back from our peaceful foreign policy built on the principle of peace for everyone, stability for everyone and prosperity for everyone,” he said.