ANKARA — Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent threats against Türkiye and Syria stem from his deepening international isolation and political anxieties, rather than from any genuine security concern.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Duran said Netanyahu’s remarks targeting Türkiye and Syria in a recent interview reflect his growing isolation, political fears and delusions. He added that Netanyahu’s attempts to mislead international public opinion by inventing imaginary threats and enemies are no longer having any effect, arguing that the international community has reached a consensus on the harm caused by Israeli policy.
Duran said Netanyahu has seized on hostility toward Türkiye as a political lifeline amid rising criticism from the United States, the United Kingdom and the broader international community over Israel’s aggressive policies, domestic political pressure and upcoming elections. He said Netanyahu is competing with other hardline parties in stoking hostility toward Türkiye and regional states.
He argued that Israel’s aggressive actions from Gaza to Syria and Lebanon, along with settler violence and statements from hardline cabinet ministers, have driven global perceptions of Israel to one of their lowest points in history, and said Netanyahu and his allies are trying to deflect blame onto regional countries, particularly Türkiye, pointing to accusations leveled at Ankara following Israeli strikes in Syria as a clear example.
Asked whether Netanyahu’s targeting of Türkiye could signal an expansion of Israel’s military operations toward Turkish territory, Duran said the international community and regional states are standing firmly against what he called Netanyahu’s occupation mindset and project of regional war, adding that the wider region has coalesced against what he described as a destabilizing actor. He said the current Israeli government has abandoned diplomatic efforts altogether, and that Türkiye’s stance stems not from posing any threat to Israel but from its policies opposing the damage Israel has caused to regional security and stability.
On criticism of Netanyahu from within Israel itself, Duran said Türkiye’s central concern remains ending bloodshed in the region, describing the situation in Gaza and the Palestinian issue as vital. He noted that Israeli opposition figures have repeatedly called Netanyahu’s anti-Turkish rhetoric irresponsible, extreme and foolish, and said it has caused unease within Israeli society itself. He added that even Israeli politicians acknowledge the country is losing allies one by one and becoming increasingly discredited, and that the tension-based approach toward Türkiye has yielded no benefit.
Duran described Türkiye as a NATO member state that has repeatedly reinforced its regional and global standing, consolidated its hard power and continued developing advanced capabilities. He said the most rational course for the Israeli government would be to pursue a two-state solution that would fully resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and halt further destabilizing steps, rather than issuing threats, targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem or planning new illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Asked how Türkiye would respond to what he called this aggressive mindset, Duran said Ankara would continue confronting Netanyahu’s destabilizing activities and standing alongside all states pursuing peaceful policies in the region, particularly Syria. He described Türkiye as one of the region’s most experienced and deeply rooted states, saying its approach remains cautious, composed and resolute, guided by an unchanged commitment to defending its own security, the survival of the state and the wellbeing of the nation.
He said Türkiye’s prudent and peace-oriented foreign policy would disrupt what he called the bloody games of discredited figures like Netanyahu, who he said would not hesitate to set the region ablaze to secure their own political futures, and said Türkiye has the experience not to be drawn into schemes aimed at undermining regional peace and stability. He said no one would be allowed to disturb the peace of the Turkish nation or its allies.
