Turkish leaders have been escalating their antisemitic rhetoric, sparking a heated war of words with Israel. As the NATO summit comes to a close in Ankara, the issue has largely escaped the media spotlight.
During a July 2 interview with CNN Türk, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made provocative comments, stating that Israel has "become a burden that humanity can no longer bear." Fidan also asked other countries to apply pressure to the Jewish State, comparing Israel to "humanity's common problems."
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar strongly condemned Fidan's words, calling them "a clear call for genocide." Sa'ar emphasized that dehumanization is the first step on the road to genocide and warned that such rhetoric should not go unchallenged.
Sinan Ciddi, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described Fidan's statement as "some of the vilest rhetoric to come out of any statesman since the Holocaust." Ciddi pointed out that escalated anti-Israel rhetoric in Turkey has been a long-standing issue, dating back to 2008.
Despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's condemnation of antisemitism, his government has continued to use provocative language against Israel. In June, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ҁiftҁi said the world would "witness the liberation of Jerusalem," while Erdoğan has invoked similar language, accusing Israel of being "a terror state that feeds on the blood, lives and tears of the innocent."
A Pew Research poll found that Turkey has the highest level of anti-Israel sentiment of any polled country, with 91% of the population holding "very unfavorable" views on Israel. The State Department has been silent on the issue, with a spokesperson saying only that Turkey is a "valued NATO ally" and that they continue to engage on all aspects of their relationship.
Ciddi emphasized that there are "numerous channels" for the State Department and the US government to reprimand Turkey for its unchecked hatred. He suggested that the president could demand an apology from a Turkish counterpart or that the State Department could address the comments or place Turkey on a watchlist.
As the NATO summit winds down, Ciddi warned that Turkey will try to promote itself as the "premiere NATO ally" while whitewashing its human rights record. He emphasized that it is crucial to hold member states like Turkey accountable for the threats they present and to safeguard democratic norms, rights, and practices.
