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Turkish authorities have launched an investigation into a television channel that aired a news ticker comparing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunc announced Monday.
The investigation targets the broadcaster for using what Tunc described as an inappropriate comparison between Türkiye's president and the Israeli leader in a news ticker that appeared on screen during programming.
"An investigation has been initiated regarding the use of a sentence comparing our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with genocidal Netanyahu as a news ticker on a television channel," Tunc said in a statement posted on his social media account.
The justice minister characterized Erdogan as "a leader who always stands against oppressors, alongside the oppressed and victims, and is a pioneer of the call for justice." He contrasted this portrayal with his description of Netanyahu, whom he accused of "massacring babies, women and innocent civilians in Gaza, disregarding human rights."
Tunc condemned the comparison as "an open disrespect to the Presidency, the state and the nation," arguing that mentioning Netanyahu's name in the same sentence as Erdogan was inappropriate given Türkiye's stance on the Gaza conflict.
The minister dismissed what he called "ugly perception operations" against Türkiye's president, stating they would not overshadow "the honorable struggle that our President continues not only for our nation but for all humanity."
Türkiye has been one of Israel's harshest critics since the conflict in Gaza began, with Erdogan frequently condemning Israeli military actions and calling for international intervention. The investigation reflects Türkiye's broader diplomatic tensions with Israel and its sensitivity to perceived slights against its leadership.
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