JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Dr. Hai Eitan Cohen Yanarocak, a Turkey expert from the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, explains a series of developments that he describes as concerning in relations between Turkey and Israel.

Dr. Yanarocak says that he writes quarterly reports for the “Tamarur Politography” organization and monitors Turkish media regarding anything related to the State of Israel.

“I focus in my reports on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but around this issue we see various additional developments. I’ll refer to several points in the Israeli-Turkish context: one of the most prominent findings in the report is President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s consistent policy of delegitimization against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and against the State of Israel.”

“He refers to Israel as a ‘murder gang,’ and to Netanyahu as a ‘genocidal murderer,’ instead of using professional terms like the State of Israel or Prime Minister Netanyahu. He labels Israel as a threat to Turkey’s territorial integrity and accuses it of adopting a ‘messianic policy,’ claiming it seeks to expand its territory. From his perspective, Israel is declaring war on Iran, entering territories in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria, and says: ‘They will finish there, and we are next in line.’”

“We see multiple arenas of friction—the Syrian arena, the Horn of Africa, and the alliance between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus. For example, Azerbaijan functioned as a positive actor trying to curb the deterioration between Israel and Turkey, but recently it seems it is not succeeding.”

“Turkey’s policy in the Middle East is based on strategic alliances with Arab states, and recently there has been talk there about a ‘Middle Eastern union’ that would also include Iran. They are trying to form a pan-Islamist bloc aimed at deterring Israel.”

He continues:“In the last quarter, they expanded the economic boycott and stopped issuing EUR-MED certificates, which previously allowed importing Turkish goods via Europe. Israeli companies could import Turkish products through Europe without Turkish approval. The Turks tightened this and made exports to Israel much more difficult and sophisticated.”

Focusing on religious tensions, Dr. Yanarocak says: “We also need to look at what’s happening on the Temple Mount. Following Israel’s decision to close the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (due to the war), Turkish discourse ignores the Jewish angle, that the Western Wall is also closed. They only highlight that Al-Aqsa Mosque is closed, turning it into headlines and fueling religious escalation against Israel.”

“Recently, there have been very extreme statements by Turkish officials and members of parliament, saying they are ‘ready to sacrifice 300,000 soldiers to wipe Israel off the map.’ This is very concerning. We also see that due to legislation such as the death penalty for terrorists, there is a clear anti-Zionist and antisemitic wave in Turkey.”

“We see that the Turkish state channel is producing propaganda against Israel, videos supporting the ‘Sumud flotilla’ or Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida, who was killed by the IDF. Erdoğan encourages civilian initiatives such as ‘The Gaza Tribunal.’ There is a developing legal struggle against Israel, with efforts to collect ‘evidence.’”

“Turkey is increasingly using the term ‘guarantor state,’ suggesting it provides protection for Palestinians in Gaza, and that nothing can be done in Gaza without its approval. Turkish officials communicate this message to their public, that their government is ‘protecting’ Hamas and the Palestinians.”

“We are even seeing public meetings with senior Hamas officials. This is not just rhetoric. Recently, the Shin Bet exposed another terror cell in the West Bank whose roots trace back to Hamas cells operating in Turkey. This doesn’t necessarily mean Turkey directs them, but it does mean it ignores Hamas activity on its soil against Israel, which I find very problematic.”

In conclusion, he says:
“Until now, we haven’t seen all these developments together. There are many worrying trends. This is an escalation. Every quarter I see another level of escalation, and I don’t see room for rehabilitation. There is deepening hostility, increasing personalization against the prime minister, and delegitimization mainly against the State of Israel, reflected in social media and the press.”