Lawmakers to Blinken: Address Erdogan’s hostility toward Israel

US Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) led a bipartisan letter signed by 28 Members of Congress to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, urging the State Department to address Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hostility toward Israel and continued support of Hamas terrorists.

The letter is supported by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and FDD Action.

“We are writing to address our serious concerns with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s escalating hostility and inflammatory rhetoric toward Israel. While allies can and often do disagree on key policy questions, Turkey’s conduct toward Israel is extremely troublesome and undermines our global fight for freedom and democracy. With democracy under assault around the world, we must protect our allies that are on the frontline battling these evil, authoritarian forces,” the members of Congress wrote in the letter, which was published on Tuesday.

They continued, “The Turkish government’s professed solidarity with Hamas and its actions against one of America’s key democratic allies in the Middle East demands attention. If this trend persists, the United States may need to reassess its partnership with Turkey. Erdoğan’s promotion of harmful, anti-democratic policies and his glorification of Hamas strain the relationship between the United States and Turkey. Maintaining NATO unity is crucial, but Erdogan’s recent actions and statements regarding Israel simply cannot be ignored.”

“FDD Action supports the bipartisan congressional letter to the State Department urging the Biden administration take prompt action to condemn Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his overt support of the terror group Hamas. Erdogan has routinely supported Hamas and its leadership, allowing for Turkish territory to be used to finance and plan terror plots against Israel,” said FDD Action. “It is unacceptable that Turkey, a NATO member and ally of the United States, routinely invites designated terrorists to its country while continuing to promote Hamas as a legitimate organization on the international stage. Erdogan should be roundly condemned for these actions and appropriate measures should be taken by the United States to hold Turkey accountable for serving as a hub for terrorism,” they added.

“American Jewish Committee (AJC) remains deeply concerned about President Tayyip Erdoğan’s antagonism and inflammatory rhetoric towards Israel, especially in the aftermath of Hamas’ brutal attack on October 7th. President Erdogan’s persistent endorsement of Hamas — a terror organization currently holding 120 souls hostage, including eight Americans — emboldens their actions and undermines our shared security interests as members of the NATO Alliance,” Julie Fishman Rayman, Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, AJC.

“We applaud Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) for making clear that this cannot be overlooked,” she added.

Israel and Turkey formally announced in August of 2022 that they would normalize relations by returning the ambassadors and consuls, after years of tensions.

However, since the start of the war against Hamas in Gaza, Erdogan has resumed his frequent verbal attacks on Israel.

In one speech, the Turkish President said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “committed one of the greatest atrocities of this century in Gaza and has already put his name down in history as the butcher of Gaza."

The Turkish Trade Ministry announced in early May it had suspended all export and import operations with Israel due to what it described as its "aggression against Palestine in violation of international law and human rights."

The move came several weeks after Turkey restricted exports to Israel of 54 product categories.

Erdogan later said that Turkey's move to halt trade with Israel was designed to force the country to a ceasefire in Gaza.