Echoing Hamas, Erdogan reportedly calls for Israel's destruction amid push to rekindle ties with Trump

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly called for the annihilation of Israel during Eid prayers, amid growing diplomatic tensions with the Jewish state over regional issues.

In response to his remarks, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated on X, "The dictator Erdogan revealed his antisemitic face," adding that "Erdogan is dangerous to the region, as well as to his own people, as has been proven in recent days," Sa’ar referred to the widespread protests in Turkey and added, "Let's hope NATO members understand how dangerous he is, and not before it's too late."  Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and war correspondent. Her work has taken her to 40 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan. She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter can be followed on X @efratlachter.

Following his comments, Turkey's foreign ministry issued a statement that read, in part, "We categorically reject the outrageous statement made by the Foreign Minister of the Netanyahu government.