President Erdoğan responded strongly to Israeli comments suggesting that Turkey would be next after Iran: ‘Turkey is not just another country, and our nation is not ordinary. If you want to understand the essence of Turkey and its people, look at our history, including Cyprus, our War of Independence, and the victory at Çanakkale. Let this be a warning: anyone who tries to harm Turkey will suffer the consequences. Those who try to attack us with their words or actions will be burned by their own actions.
Erdoğan said;
As attacks on Iran persist, certain groups, including former Israeli officials and paid propagandists, have made unfounded claims about Turkey. To those who think they’re creating a checklist, let me be clear: we understand the intent and target of these coordinated smear campaigns that are being fed to the international media.
We will remain calm and composed in the face of these attacks. We are aware of the true motives behind the systematic campaigns waged by anti-Turkey lobbies. We will not be swayed by these tactics, and we will not abandon our rational thinking and composure. Turkey is a unique country, and its people are not ordinary. If you want to understand the essence of Turkey and its nation, look at our history, including our experiences in Cyprus, our War of Independence, and our victory at Çanakkale.
Just recently, on July 15, we not only exposed and defeated the traitors within our own ranks, but also those who were pulling their strings, with the power and determination of our nation. This nation has the strength, determination, and power to break any hand that tries to reach out to it with impunity, just as it has in the past and will in the future. Today’s Turkey is very different from yesterday’s. Turkey has strengthened its internal front. Turkey has added to its power with its ‘Terror-Free Turkey’ project. The leaps and bounds in our defense industry have further increased the deterrence of our military.
Turkey has moved out of a passive position and has taken on a role of setting the equation and playing the game in its region. Those who stretch out their hand to Turkey will have their hand burned. Those who wag their tongue at Turkey will have their tongue burned. I repeat, we are not seeking adventure. We are never seeking tension. We want peace and tranquility to prevail in every inch and corner of our region. We want the Middle East, which has been exhausted and worn out by wars, to achieve the permanent peace and stability it so desperately desires.
“We defend the territorial integrity of Syria, just as we defended the territorial integrity of Iraq in the past, and today we defend that of Iran, Lebanon, and all countries in the region. Our only goal, both within our country and in our region, is justice, peace, and tranquility. We have no ambitions, no matter who we are, to infringe on the sovereignty or territory of any country. But if anyone tries to covet our lands, threatens our sovereignty, or seeks adventure, then by God, we will not hesitate to say ‘here I am‘.
