Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intensified his criticism of Israel’s military operation in Gaza on Thursday, while publicly challenging Germany for what he termed its “ignorance” of the alleged “genocide” against Palestinians. The comments were delivered during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ankara, underscoring a deep diplomatic rift between the two NATO allies over the conflict.
Erdogan specifically urged Berlin to partner with Turkiye to help end what he called the “massacres and famine” in the enclave. He proposed leveraging the Turkish Red Crescent alongside the German Red Cross to combat the “deliberate starvation,” pointedly asking, “Does Germany not see these?”
The Turkish President made a direct comparison to the conflict in Eastern Europe, stating that just as both nations desired an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, they should strive for a swift cessation of Israel’s war on Gaza. He positioned Turkiye and Germany as two critical powers capable of joining hands to achieve this humanitarian objective.
Erdogan also highlighted the dramatic imbalance in military capabilities, noting Israel’s access to advanced and even nuclear weapons, which he suggested were used to threaten Gaza, contrasted with the less equipped Hamas group.
The diplomatic pressure comes as the US-brokered ceasefire, established on October 10, faces significant strain following a devastating series of Israeli bombardments this week. The strikes were a clear retaliation after an Israeli soldier was killed by operatives in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Tuesday.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that Israel’s retaliatory attacks resulted in 104 fatalities, most of them women and children. This sudden spike in intensity led to reports from Gaza City that a “brief hope for calm turned into despair,” with the scale of destruction recalling the early, intense weeks of the conflict.
While Israel announced on Wednesday that it had recommenced “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire,” the violence elicited strong international reactions. US President Donald Trump attempted to downplay the crisis, insisting the truce was “not in jeopardy,” but mediator Qatar publicly labeled Israel’s recent violations as “disappointing and frustrating.”
The underlying peace plan-designed to end a war that has killed over 68,500 Palestinians and 1,139 Israelis—calls for an international force to monitor the agreement. However, the prospect of Turkiye contributing troops was quickly dismissed by Israel. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated Israel’s opposition to any Turkish presence, arguing that any nation providing armed forces must demonstrate impartiality toward Israel.
