Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday that Israel’s government bears the main responsibility for what he called the “unlawful war” with Iran, renewing Ankara’s warning that the conflict could spread across the region.
The president made the remarks at a parliamentary group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Ankara.
“The Israeli government bears primary responsibility for this unlawful war,” Erdoğan said, adding that the conflict had not only turned the region into a zone of fighting but had also imposed an economic burden on the world. He said Turkey wanted the path to peace opened before more blood was shed.
Erdoğan also said every development that prolongs the war serves Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy, and he warned that a wider regional confrontation would create greater security and economic risks.
Ankara’s criticism of Israel came as Turkey also faces direct fallout from the conflict. NATO defenses intercepted a fourth ballistic missile that entered Turkish airspace from Iran on March 30, raising concerns over the risk of spillover from the fighting.