By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ANKARA/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday that Turkey has cut its ties with the State of Israel, marking a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
“We have cut trade and ties with Israel, period,” Erdoğan said in remarks to Turkish media.
However, Israeli officials in Jerusalem said they were unaware of the diplomatic status change.
While Turkey recalled its ambassador from Israel “in protest of the Gaza War,” the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv is still operating, Israeli sources said.
Erdoğan spoke to reporters aboard his plane following recent visits to Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.
The Turkey’s leader stressed his condemnation of what he called “genocide” by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon.
ISRAEL DENIES
Israel’s government has vehemently denied committing atrocities, saying it is fighting Iran’s proxies, such as Hamas, after the group killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7 last year.
However, Erdoğan said there was “an urgent need” for humanitarian aid and an immediate ceasefire. “As you know, intense efforts are being made to keep the pressure on Israel alive and to take coercive measures against this country based on international law,” he added.
The Turkish president has been among Israel’s harshest critics before and after last year’s Hamas massacre, described as “the worst atrocity against Jews since the Holocaust,” or Shoah.
He refused to condemn the Hamas atrocities against Israeli civilians and instead lashed out at Israel for its war against Hamas in Gaza.
In March, Erdoğan emphasized Turkey’s strong ties with Hamas, which he refuses to recognize as a “terrorist organization.”
“Turkey is a country that speaks openly with Hamas leaders and firmly backs them. No one can make us qualify Hamas as a terrorist organization,” he said
HITLER COMPARISON
The Turkish president has also compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler who ordered the murder of six million Jews.
“Netanyahu and his administration, with their crimes against humanity in Gaza, are writing their names next to Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin, like today’s Nazis,” Erdoğan claimed.
In May, the Turkish leader escalated his rhetoric by calling Netanyahu a “vampire” and said the State of Israel was a threat to “all of humanity.”
He also announced that Turkey would halt all commercial trade with the Jewish state. Former Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz strongly condemned Erdoğan, accusing him of undermining both Israeli and Turkish traders.
“Erdoğan crossed a line and blocked ports for Israeli exports and imports,” Katz complained.
“This is how a dictator behaves – trampling on the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen and ignoring international trade agreements,” he argued.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
U.S. President Donald J. Trump sought to play down global fears that the war in Iran is spiraling out of control, saying the conflict is “very close” to completion while warning of fresh U.S. strikes within weeks.
Sirens echoed across central and northern Israel Wednesday evening as families gathered for Passover, when Iran unleashed a major ballistic missile barrage and Hezbollah fired rockets from Lebanon, forcing millions into bomb shelters during one of Judaism’s most sacred nights.
A swarm of unauthorized drones prompted a temporary lockdown at Barksdale Air Force Base earlier this month, raising fresh concerns about the vulnerability of America’s most sensitive military installations amid rising global tensions.
As Israel entered the sacred season of Passover, the Israel Defense Forces announced a sweeping continued campaign against Iran, citing significant progress in weakening the regime’s military infrastructure.
A major bridge near Tehran collapsed following reported U.S. airstrikes, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran as Donald Trump warned Iran to negotiate before further destruction unfolds.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Northern Molucca Sea region early Thursday, prompting tsunami warnings, panic among residents, and initial reports of casualties and damage, officials said.
Christians in central Syria faced a tense Easter weekend after their town was targeted by armed Muslim men, with residents watching in horror as church property, homes, shops, a café, and cars were damaged, residents said.