Turkey accuses Israel of wanting to 'occupy more territory'

The head of Turkish diplomacy accused Israel on Saturday of using the war in the Middle East as a pretext to "occupy more territory."

"Israel is not seeking to ensure its own security; Israel wants more territory. Security is used by the Netanyahu government as a pretext to occupy more territory," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a diplomatic forum in Antalya, southern Turkey.

According to the head of Turkish diplomacy, beyond the Palestinian territories (Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem), Israel is now seeking to assert its dominance over territories belonging to Lebanon and Syria. "This is a matter of ongoing occupation and expansionism … This must stop," Fidan added, stating that "Israel has created an illusion internationally by claiming to seek only its own security." These statements add to the recent war of words between Turkish and Israeli leaders. The Turkish foreign minister had accused Israel on Monday of wanting to make Turkey its "new enemy," after his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz called Turkey a "paper tiger."

The Turkish minister also lamented on Saturday that the conflict in the Middle East is slowing down efforts, among them those led by Ankara, to end the war in Ukraine. "This has relegated the war between Russia and Ukraine to the background," he said, calling for efforts to resume once calm returns to the Middle East.