Turkish officials blast Israeli attempts to 'denigrate' Erdoğan

ANKARA

Turkish officials rejected Israeli attempts to "denigrate" President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday and condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz for his latest provocation.

Katz targeted Erdoğan in a post on social media, claiming that the Turkish president is turning his country into a "dictatorship."

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan slammed Katz, calling his remarks "a complete form of illness."

“Israel Katz’s continuous use of our country and our President as subjects for his own delusions, instead of focusing on his role as Foreign Minister, is a complete form of illness,” Fidan said on X.

“This individual, whose presence in the cabinet is nothing but an obsession with spreading slander and lies, is the embodiment of the insolence and shamelessness of the genocidal Netanyahu government,” he further stated.

Saying that Ankara would not allow any attempts to discredit his love and great contributions to Türkiye and the Turkish people, Fidan pledged solidarity with Erdoğan.

Katz has been posting provocative messages insulting Erdoğan and Türkiye often.

Tensions between Israel and Türkiye have risen since the Gaza war, with Ankara cutting off commercial ties and Erdoğan repeatedly criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for global action for the atrocities of Israel.

"Those who massacre innocent children and civilians in occupied Gaza are not allowed to mention Türkiye [and] the name of our President or the concept of freedom and democracy," Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said in a statement on X.

"Happier days will come when Palestine is free and Netanyahu is held accountable."

Separately, Türkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun on Friday also criticized Israel's foreign minister for comments directed at Erdoğan.

"The more you put Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's name in your dirty mouth, where you suck innocent blood, the more decisively we will continue to support and stand behind him," he said.

Altun describes Katz as a "bloody genocidal murderer," insisting: "There is nothing our President or our country can learn from bloody genocidal murderers like you."

He promised that Katz and Israel's genocidal acts would one day be held accountable.

Akif Cağatay Kılıç, Erdoğan's foreign policy advisor, said: "You are the dirty face of a murderous government. It is not your place to mention the name Recep Tayyip Erdoğan." He stated that their "barbarism and genocide" will lead to Israel's demise.

Istanbul mayor slams Israeli minister

Meanwhile, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu slammed Katz for his comments about Erdoğan.

Katz, in his social media post targeting Erdoğan, tagged Imamoğlu with the caption "Let's hope for better days," to stir up chaos by involving the opposition.

But İmamoğlu harshly criticized Kaltz.

“I am returning this statement to you exactly as it is, which insults the flag of the Republic of Türkiye and the President,” Imamoğlu said.

Democracy and law would not be taught by “people who have the blood of thousands of children on their hands," he asserted.

He added that everything will be “very beautiful when Palestine is free.”