MOSCOW, July 29. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement that the country may invade Israel shows that the situation is escalating, Russian Ambassador to Tel Aviv Anatoly Viktorov said on the Rossiya-24 TV channel.

"Let's let Israel assess the threat from Turkey. Meanwhile, our Turkish colleagues will have to deal with the tension in their bilateral relations. However, of course, this statement by the Turkish president only reflects the intensity of the situation, and therein lies the danger," he said.

Erdogan's statement

Some local TV channels disseminated Erdogan's latest harsh statement against Israel on Sunday. He did not specify what he meant by the expression "enter Israel."

Turkish media recall that Ankara provided assistance to Baku during the Karabakh conflict. Last November, the Turkish parliament extended the mission of the republic's Armed Forces in Azerbaijan as part of the joint Russian-Turkish monitoring center, which was deployed to oversee the ceasefire. Then, the Turkish Majlis also extended the mandate for the military contingent in Libya, which has been deployed there since 2020 on the basis of a military agreement between Turkey and the Government of National Accord.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to Erdogan's remarks by saying that he could go the way of Saddam Hussein, who led Iraq from 1979 to 2003 and was executed in 2006.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry hit back by saying that "just as the end of the genocidal Hitler came, so too will be the end of the genocidal [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu." "Just as the genocidal Nazis were held accountable, those who seek to destroy the Palestinians will also be held accountable," the ministry said.

Relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated sharply following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in October 2023. The sides have repeatedly exchanged harsh remarks and mutual accusations. In late October 2023, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced the withdrawal of diplomats from Ankara in order to reassess Israeli-Turkish relations. Turkey also recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv for consultations.