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Türkiye's Foreign Ministry on Saturday sharply condemned a statement from Israel's Foreign Ministry that targeted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling the remarks "lies and slander" that reflect what it described as a "cowardly and corrupt mentality" among officials in the government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The ministry's statement, carried by the state-run Anadolu Agency, was issued in response to an earlier Israeli Foreign Ministry statement that had criticized Erdogan directly.
In its response, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the allegations made against Erdogan by Israeli officials revealed the mindset of what it called "criminals" serving in the Netanyahu government.
It argued that Netanyahu bears primary responsibility for what the ministry termed a genocide in Gaza, saying this had brought "a historic shame" on the Israeli public.
The statement further accused Netanyahu of pursuing expansionist policies it described as unprecedented in the modern history of the Middle East, holding him chiefly responsible for regional and global instability.
The ministry added that the legal and political immunities historically enjoyed by Netanyahu and what it called his "criminal network" were now eroding.
The statement went further, comparing the messaging efforts of Israeli institutions to the propaganda apparatus once run by Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda minister of Nazi Germany.
It said such efforts were no longer effective, asserting that the international community no longer believes statements made by the Netanyahu government.
Goebbels served as Adolf Hitler's minister of propaganda during the Third Reich and is widely studied as a historical figure associated with state-controlled disinformation campaigns.
The ministry credited Erdogan with leading what it called an honest and determined position against actions taken during Netanyahu's tenure. "Türkiye, under the leadership of our president, has displayed an honest and resolute stance against the crimes committed during the Netanyahu era," the statement said.
The ministry said Türkiye would continue to defend and publicly state what it characterized as the facts of the matter going forward.
The exchange adds to a prolonged period of strained relations between Ankara and Jerusalem, which have repeatedly traded pointed public criticism over the war in Gaza. Erdogan has been one of the most vocal international critics of Israel's military campaign in the Palestinian territory, while Israeli officials have periodically pushed back against his statements.
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