'Netanyahu is like a relative of Hitler,' Turkish president says

ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday lambasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the recent attack on the Hamas negotiating team in Qatar, saying: "Ideologically, Netanyahu is like a relative of Hitler."

“Just as Hitler could not foresee the defeat that awaited him, Netanyahu will face the same ultimate fate,” he added while returning from Doha, Qatar, where he attended an emergency Arab-Islamic summit in the wake of last week’s Israeli airstrike.

Erdogan called the attack on the Hamas negotiators “a blatant challenge to international order and international law” and said Israel’s leadership has “turned their radical mindset into nothing more than a murderous network built on fascist ideology.”

Qatar, along with Egypt and the US, has been mediating to end the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, where almost 65,000 people have been killed since October 2023.

UN resolution on 2-state solution

Erdogan said the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the New York Declaration on a two-state solution marks a major shift in the diplomatic landscape on the Palestinian issue.

Approved by 142 countries, Erdogan stressed that the declaration reflects Türkiye’s long-standing support for a two-state solution, which has now become the shared will of the global majority.

On several Western countries that recently announced that they will recognize Palestine, the president said this would put more pressure on Israel and pledged to raise the issue again at the UN.

He expressed hope that “the front of humanity will gain broader support” at this month’s UN General Assembly.

Türkiye cannot abandon Syria

The Turkish president also said efforts to integrate the SDF with the Damascus government are a key step for Syria’s territorial integrity.

On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement to integrate the SDF into state institutions, stressing the country’s territorial integrity and rejecting any separatist designs.​​​​​​​

Erdogan added that Syria is facing a complex process in which international diplomacy and local dynamics are closely intertwined, stressing that Türkiye "cannot abandon Syria" in the face of this.

Relations with Libya

Erdogan also addressed Türkiye’s diplomacy in Libya, emphasizing the protection of the country’s sovereignty and unity. “We are committed to safeguarding Libya’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political unity, with all our actions guided by these objectives,” he said.

He noted that Türkiye has supported the legitimate Tripoli government from the outset, while recent policies have also sought to open diplomatic channels with eastern Libya. “This reflects Türkiye’s multidimensional diplomatic efforts, regional vision, and commitment to achieving peace,” Erdogan said.

He added that the Benghazi administration’s approval of the 2019 maritime jurisdiction agreement between Türkiye and Tripoli would be a “significant gain under international law.”

In 2019, a maritime deal between Ankara and Libya's Tripoli-based government enabled joint offshore exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, while a 2022 agreement expanded cooperation to onshore and offshore oil and gas projects.