Downing Street condemns Erdogan’s call to ‘destroy’ Israel

Asked to comment by the JC, a Downing Street spokesperson said that “of course” they condemned comments by Erdoğan, adding: “We would never support anything like that”.

Erdoğan has been under huge domestic pressure as hundreds of thousands of Turkish citizens have been taking to the streets to protest his government’s detention of the Mayor of Istanbul on March 19.

Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was considered a leading rival of the President, was arrested on charges of corruption and terrorism (although the terrorism charge was later dismissed by courts) that his supporters claim to be politically motivated.

An estimated 2,000 people have been arrested in the subsequent crackdown on protests by the Turkish government.

Asked about the protests and the arrest of İmamoğlu, the Number 10 spokesperson said that Downing Street was monitoring the situation.

“The UK is always going to support democracy, human rights, the rule of law across the world. We support the fundamental right to freedom of speech, and we expect Turkey, as with all countries, to uphold its international commitments and the rule of law”, they added.

However, despite the concerns expressed over human rights and democracy, the government still considers Turkey a key partner in a number of areas.

"We obviously work closely with Turkey when it comes to matters of international security and defence and have done consistently in relation to Ukraine”, the spokesperson concluded.

It comes after Israel’s Foreign Minister also hit back at Erdoğan’s comments and labelled him a “dictator” who “has revealed his antisemitic face.”

“Erdoğan is dangerous to the region, as well as to his own people, as is being proven in these very days”, said Gideon Sa’ar

Sa’ar added: “Let’s hope that the countries of the NATO alliance will understand this – and preferably sooner rather than later.”

His comments prompted a full-on social media spat between Israel and Turkey’s accounts on X.

A statement from Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said they rejected Sa’ar’s statement, which they called “disrespectful and baseless allegations”, adding: “The propaganda efforts of Israeli officials will never undermine Türkiye's unwavering commitment to speaking the truth.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry rapidly hit back, saying: “Everyone knows what Erdoğan has done to nations and peoples in the region – from Cyprus to Syria. Everyone sees what he does to his own people (and to Pikachu)”. Last week, anti-regime protesters – including one dressed as the iconic yellow Pokémon – were seen fleeing from the police in widely circulated footage.

“And everyone hears what he wants to do to the Jewish state”, the ministry added.

But the Turkish president has a history of inflammatory comments when it comes to Israel.

In May 2024, he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “vampire who feeds on blood,” urging Muslims to fight the Jewish state.

Two months later, Erdoğan told the US magazine Newsweek that Palestinian terrorists from the Gaza Strip were “simply defending their homes, streets and homeland” when they murdered some 1,200 people, primarily civilians, on October 7.

And in August last year, Israel’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish deputy ambassador after the country’s embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to half-mast to honour Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh who was killed in an Israeli attack in Iran.

Erdogan had declared August 2, 2024 a national day of mourning.