Critics say Turkey's verbal attacks on Israel have crossed into antisemitism

As Iran, Russia’s warfare pinch Ukraine and NATO’s defense spending predominate nan organization's acme successful Ankara — 1 rumor that has escaped nan media glare is nan increasingly antisemitic rhetoric coming from Turkish leaders.

As relations betwixt Turkey and Israel proceed to deed caller lows, a warfare of words betwixt nan 2 nations has erupted.

In a July 2 question and reply pinch CNN Türk, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Israel has "become a load that humanity tin nary longer bear," the Jerusalem Post reported. Fidan besides said that Israel is typical of "humanity’s communal problems," and asked different countries to use unit to nan Jewish State, according to Israel National News.

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Anti-Israel protesters rally successful Istanbul, Turkey, connected Feb. 17, 2024, complete nan ongoing warfare betwixt Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

In a property statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called Fidan’s words "a clear telephone for genocide. The Jewish group cognize very good what happens erstwhile specified words are allowed to spell unchallenged. The first measurement connected nan roadworthy to genocide is dehumanization.

"This is simply a condemnation that sounds very acquainted to sentences from astir 100 years ago," Sa’ar added. "To speak astir a group arsenic a ‘problem for humanity.’ What do you do pinch a ‘burden that you tin nary longer bear?’" he asked.

Sinan Ciddi, a elder chap astatine nan Foundation for Defense of Democracies and head of FDD’s Turkey program, told Fox News Digital that Fidan’s connection was "some of nan vilest rhetoric to travel retired of immoderate statesman since nan Holocaust."

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a rally successful solidarity pinch Palestinians successful Gaza, amid nan ongoing conflict betwixt Israel and nan Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, successful Istanbul, Turkey October 28, 2023.  (Dilara Senkaya/Reuters)

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Ciddi said that escalated anti-Israel rhetoric successful Turkey "goes each nan measurement backmost to 2008" erstwhile President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan "began nan process of ripping isolated nan bilateral narration betwixt Israel and Turkey. But aft Oct. 7, it conscionable went into overdrive," he said. "I person ne'er heard immoderate Arab leader utter nan words that Foreign Minister Fidan has said."

Yet Erdogan has condemned antisemitism; nan Turkish Minute reported that he told Turkish belief number representatives astatine an Ankara meal successful March that "just arsenic Islamophobia is simply a crime against humanity, antisemitism is besides a crime, an evil that cannot beryllium considered reasonable aliases legitimate."

Yet contempt his caller condemnation, he and different ministers person continued pinch their rhetoric against nan Jewish state.

In June, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ҁiftҁi said that nan world would "witness nan liberation of Jerusalem," according to nan Times of Israel.

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In May 2021, nan Times of Israel reported that Erdoğan called Israelis "murderers," claiming they were 'only satisfied by sucking their [victims’] blood." At nan time, the State Department spokesperson issued a strong condemnation of Erdoğan’s "anti-Semitic comments regarding nan Jewish people," calling them "reprehensible."

In May 2025, Erdoğan invoked akin language, accusing Israel of being "a panic authorities that feeds connected nan blood, lives and tears of nan innocent," Israel National News reported.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar (R) and Israeli Ambassador to nan U.N. Danny Danon (L) speak to journalists up of a United Nations Security Council gathering astatine U.N. office connected August 5, 2025 successful New York (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Anti-Israel sentiment successful Turkey has infiltrated acold beyond leadership. A Pew Research poll from June recovered that Turkey had nan highest level of anti-Israel sentiment of immoderate polled country, pinch 91 percent of nan organization holding "very unfavorable" views connected Israel, 6% holding an "unfavorable" view, and conscionable 1% expressing immoderate favour of Israel.

In consequence to questions astir whether nan State Department plans to respond to antisemitic statements from Turkish leadership, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "Türkiye is simply a longstanding and valued NATO Ally and we proceed to prosecute connected each aspects of our important and multi-faceted relationship."

Ciddi said location are "numerous channels" for nan State Department and Trump management to reprimand Turkey for its unchecked hatred. "The president could evidently propulsion speech a Turkish counterpart and request an apology," he explained, while nan State Department could reside nan comments aliases spot Turkey connected a watchlist.

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The Hague, Netherlands - In photos, NATO leaders participate successful nan acme successful The Hague, Netherlands, connected June 25, 2025. NATO countries pledged to summation their defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, arsenic demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump. The summit's last declaration states that countries will put "at slightest 3.5%" of their GDP annually successful subject capabilities and an further 1.5% successful protecting captious infrastructure. (Handout / Latin America News Agency via Reuters Connect)

As nan two-day NATO acme winds down successful Ankara, Ciddi said that Turkey "is going to effort and overshadow thing else" and "promote itself arsenic nan benignant of premiere NATO ally, truthful we request to watch retired for Turkey’s whitewashing of its quality authorities record." Ciddi warned that "We cannot safeguard our allies’ antiauthoritarian norms, authorities and practices if we don’t clasp personnel states for illustration Turkey accountable for nan threats that it presents."

The Turkish Embassy successful Washington, D.C. did not respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for comment.