Erdogan Claims Israeli Actions in Syria and Lebanon Now Threaten Turkey's Security

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on June 10 that Israel's attacks on Syria and Lebanon had reached a point where they also threaten Turkey. Erdogan spoke to lawmakers from his ruling AK Party in parliament. He said the attacks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his network of murder on Lebanon and Syria have brought the issue to a point where it also threatens Turkey, and added that Ankara's security was tied to that of Lebanon and Syria.

Erdogan said Israel's aggression posed a threat to the whole world and must be stopped. He urged world powers to take a more clear stance against Israel, saying it was emboldened by the silence of the international community. "Pulling Israel back to within the bounds of the rule of law has become a shared duty not just for certain countries, but for all of humanity," he said.

Erdogan also said Israel was leading a sneaky effort to destabilise African countries and the Mediterranean by igniting the fire of discord on the ethnically-split island of Cyprus. He said small entities whose ambitions far exceed their size have boarded Israel's boat of mischief, taken on the role of Zionist subcontractors, and are pursuing some pipe dreams in the Eastern Mediterranean.

"If the rights of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots are violated in the Eastern Mediterranean, our response will be very clear and very strong," Erdogan said.

NATO member Turkey has been one of the fiercest critics of Israel's assaults on Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon. Turkey says Israel is the biggest obstacle to regional peace. Turkey has halted all trade with Israel and called for measures against Israel at international courts.

-Iran war. Erdogan spoke at the end of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 23, 2025.