Israeli officials referred to Turkiye’s official “harsh statements” as the main cause.
On Saturday, October 28, Israel recalled its diplomats from Turkiye due to what it perceives as increasingly harsh statements from the Turkish government. This decision follows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s announcement at a massive protest rally in Istanbul, where he declared that his government was preparing to formally accuse Israel of commiting war crimes in Gaza Strip. Erdogan’s announcement came during a pro-Palestinian rally that drew hundreds of thousands of participants, signaling an escalation in tensions between the two countries.
In 2010, Israel had withdrawn its diplomats from Turkey for security reasons. However, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s statement on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) indicates that this latest withdrawal is for a reevaluation of the relationship between the two nations, potentially straining their recently restored diplomatic ties. There has been no immediate response from the Turkish Foreign Ministry. It’s worth noting, however, that Israeli authorities made this decision in coordination with USA federal government as a warning to Turkiye to stop causing problems to NATO, as well as to the Middle East.
