Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched one of his harshest attacks yet on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, likening him ideologically to Adolf Hitler and predicting he will meet a similar fate. The comments came during Erdogan’s return flight from Doha, where he attended an extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit focused on the escalating conflict in Gaza and recent Israeli military actions in the region.
“Netanyahu and Hitler are ideological kin,” Erdogan told reporters aboard his plane, according to Turkish media. “Just as Hitler failed to foresee his own defeat, Netanyahu will face the same fate. Those in power in Israel today are nothing more than a network of killers who have turned their extremist worldview into a fascist ideology.”
Erdogan’s remarks reflect growing Turkish frustration with Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and its expanding operations beyond Palestinian territories. The Turkish president also condemned Israel’s recent airstrike in Doha targeting a Hamas negotiation team—an unprecedented move that many see as a direct challenge to international law and the sovereignty of a third country.
“The attack on Hamas representatives in Qatar is a flagrant violation of international law and a challenge to the global order,” Erdogan said. “This wasn’t just a military operation—it was a political message, one that undermines regional stability.”
The strike in Doha, claimed by Israel and dubbed “Operation Summit of Fire,” has stirred controversy worldwide. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, speaking alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem, openly acknowledged the operation, saying it was “an entirely Israeli decision” and that his government “accepts full responsibility.” The target, according to the Israeli military, was a group of Hamas leaders allegedly involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the ongoing conflict.
Erdogan did not mince words in his response, accusing Israel of attempting to “deepen the conflict and expand the zone of instability in the region.” He affirmed Turkey’s solidarity with both the Palestinian people and the Qatari government, declaring: “Turkey stands fully by Palestine and Qatar with all its capabilities.”
The Turkish president called on Islamic nations to strengthen security cooperation, share intelligence, and build joint crisis management mechanisms. “The Islamic world must not be silent,” he said, urging a united front against what he described as a systematic Israeli campaign to destabilize the region.
The Doha summit itself was convened urgently in light of Israel’s widening military footprint, not only in Gaza but now spilling into other sovereign states. The attack in Qatar dominated the agenda, drawing widespread condemnation from participating leaders, many of whom described the incident as a red line.
Erdogan also expressed hope that an upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly would broaden international support for the Palestinian cause. “The recognition of the State of Palestine by Western countries would corner Israel politically and morally,” he argued.
Meanwhile, concerns are growing in Israel’s own media about the implications of its extraterritorial operations. In a strongly worded editorial, the Israeli daily Maariv warned the government against any future attempts to target Hamas leaders on Turkish soil. The paper cautioned that such moves could provoke a serious rupture with Ankara, whose leadership has remained vocally opposed to Israel’s actions since the beginning of the war in Gaza.
“The Israeli security establishment must abandon its arrogance,” Maariv wrote, noting that Turkey under Erdogan has consistently taken a hardline stance against Israeli aggression since he came to power in 2003. “A strike in Turkey won’t be met with mere condemnation.”
The warnings come amid speculation that Turkish intelligence has already increased security measures in response to reports of potential Israeli plans to replicate the Doha strike in Istanbul or Ankara.
Israel’s offensive against Hamas has increasingly taken on a global dimension, with assassinations and drone strikes reportedly carried out in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and now Qatar. Over the past year, several senior Hamas figures have been killed in operations far beyond the borders of the besieged Gaza Strip, sparking fears of a broader, more complex regional war.
As Erdogan’s fiery rhetoric and Netanyahu’s aggressive posture continue to clash, the geopolitical risks are mounting. With multiple actors now involved and hostilities spreading across borders, the region appears to be entering a dangerous new phase, one where diplomatic red lines are being crossed, and where the prospect of direct confrontations between major regional powers can no longer be ruled out.
