Türkiye has rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusations against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the country at the U.N. General Assembly, with senior officials in Ankara also issuing sharply worded responses.
Türkiye formally responded to Netanyahu through a diplomat of third-secretary rank, who exercised the country’s right of reply at the assembly.
“We categorically reject the baseless and malicious accusations against Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” the diplomat said.
Addressing the General Assembly’s 81st session on Sept. 24, Netanyahu accused Erdoğan and Türkiye of spreading what he described as antisemitic lies and of hosting Hamas leaders. His remarks prompted a series of responses from Turkish officials.
Türkiye’s statement pointed to the departure of numerous delegations from the General Assembly hall during Netanyahu’s speech, describing the walkout as a diplomatic rejection of his policies and evidence of what it called his growing international isolation.
The statement also accused Netanyahu of seeking to divert attention from Israel’s actions in Gaza and its military operations in the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Syria.
“While Israel exports war, destruction and instability, Türkiye is building peace,” the statement said.
Türkiye backs a two-state solution and an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said Netanyahu’s use of the U.N. podium to make what he called baseless accusations against Erdoğan and Türkiye was incompatible with the organization’s principles of peace, law and dialogue.
Duran described Netanyahu’s remarks targeting Erdoğan as “insolent and vile” and said they could not obscure the humanitarian crisis in Gaza or international legal proceedings concerning the Israeli prime minister.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Ömer Çelik, spokesman for Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), also condemned Netanyahu’s remarks, describing them as “insolent, aggressive and delusional” and saying they amounted to an attack on Türkiye as a whole.
Speaking to CNN Türk, Çelik accused Netanyahu of making attacks on Erdoğan part of his political campaign.
Erdoğan, speaking at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 22, called on world leaders to increase pressure on Israel over the situation in Gaza and urged reforms to the U.N. system.
