Turkey Rejects Netanyahu's Accusations Against Erdogan at UN

Turkey has rejected accusations levelled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on 24 September, with Ankara calling the remarks baseless and malicious.

Speaking from the UN podium, Netanyahu called Erdogan a tyrant, accused Turkey of being a super spreader of antisemitic lies, and claimed Ankara hosts Hamas leadership. The accusations drew an immediate response from three Turkish officials across the UN floor and on social media.

A Turkish diplomat exercising the right of reply at the General Assembly categorically rejected what they described as baseless and malicious accusations against Turkey and Erdogan. The diplomat noted that numerous delegations had walked out during Netanyahu's speech, characterising the walkout as strong diplomatic condemnation. The official referenced Netanyahu's outstanding International Criminal Court arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and accused Israel of genocide in Gaza as well as aggression in the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria. Thousands of civilians have been killed, the diplomat said, with homes and hospitals reduced to rubble. Turkey reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.

Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said on X that Netanyahu's remarks were incompatible with the UN ideals of peace, law, and dialogue, and argued they could not hide the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Netanyahu, Duran concluded, has become more isolated than ever. AK Party Deputy Chairman Omer Celik went further, condemning the insolent, aggressive, and delirious statements of a genocidal Netanyahu, accusing him of distorting facts from Cyprus to the Aegean, from Syria to Palestine.

The exchange reflects the depth of the rift between Ankara and Tel Aviv, which severed diplomatic ties in 2023 amid the Gaza war. The confrontation carries implications for Gulf states, several of which have normalised or are considering normalising relations with Israel. Qatar, which maintains channels with both Hamas and Israel and has mediated hostage negotiations throughout the war, has consistently backed Palestinian statehood and condemned Netanyahu's conduct in Gaza. Doha has hosted Hamas leadership since 2012, a recurring point of Israeli complaint, and has positioned itself as a diplomatic counterweight to normalisation efforts. The walkout during Netanyahu's speech, which included delegations from across the Middle East and the broader Muslim world, underscored the continuing isolation of Israel's position at the UN nearly a year into the Gaza conflict.