Bennett attacks Turkey, calls it 'the new Iran,' calls for strategy to confront Erdogan

Former Israeli occupation prime minister, Naftali Bennett, launched a scathing attack on the Turkish state, considering it 'the new Iran' in the region. Bennett described Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a cunning and dangerous adversary, stressing the need for Tel Aviv to reformulate its international strategy to deal with what he described as the escalating Turkish threat.

In a post published on his official 'X' account, Bennett warned of extensive Turkish moves in the Syrian and Gaza Strip files, the Eastern Mediterranean region, and even the African continent. He claimed that these moves directly aim to encircle Israel and weaken its security position, calling on the Israeli leadership not to ignore these indicators as happened in previous files.

The former Israeli official claimed that Ankara's regional influence contributed to the formation of a hostile axis largely similar to the axis led by Tehran in the Middle East. He referred in his speech to the close ties between the Turkish administration and forces he describes as extremist in both Qatar and Syria, which he sees as strengthening a front hostile to Israeli interests.

Bennett called for urgent action to confront what he called 'the hostility coming from Ankara' in parallel with confronting Iranian threats, stressing that the nature of the confrontation may differ in tools but must be simultaneous and coordinated. Bennett believes that Israel desperately needs to develop a comprehensive action plan that takes into account Turkey's growing regional ambitions.

These sharp statements come amid a state of continuous and tangible tension in relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv, which has significantly escalated since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. Israeli circles continue to express their concern about the growing Turkish role in regional issues, especially with the continuation of official Turkish criticism of Israeli policies towards Palestinians.

I warn you: Turkey is the new Iran. Erdogan is a cunning and dangerous adversary seeking to encircle Israel. We must not turn a blind eye again.