Turkey issues open threat to invade Israel

ANKARA: As the Gaza war rages on, Turkey has issued an open threat to invade Israel. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Turkish forces will enter Israel to save the Palestinians. Speaking at a meeting of the ruling AK Party, Erdoğan said that Turkey might enter Israel as it had done in the past in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. However, he did not spell out what sort of intervention he was suggesting.

"We must be very strong so that Israel can't do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them," Erdogan said at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Israel has hit back at Erdogan by stating that he would suffer the fate of former Iraq President Saddam Hussein. Israel had earlier accused Turkey of funding Hamas. The US-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003, ousting President Saddam and hanging him in 2006.

Erdogan, a staunch critic of Israel, had previously called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the 'butcher of Gaza.' In 2020, Turkey sent military personnel to Libya in support of the United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord of Libya. Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, who heads the Government of National Unity in Tripoli, is backed by Turkey.

Turkey has denied any direct role in Azerbaijan's military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, but said last year it was using "all means", including military training and modernisation, to support its close ally.

More than 39,360 people have been killed so far in Gaza, where attacks continue to intensify.