Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday that Iran has the “legitimate” right to defend itself as Israel’s bombing campaign on Iranian territory entered its sixth day, marking the most direct confrontation between the two countries in decades.
“It is a very natural, legitimate and legal right for Iran to defend itself against Israel’s thuggery and state terrorism,” Erdoğan said during a public address, days after labeling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “the biggest threat to the security of the region.”
The ongoing conflict began early Friday, when Israel launched a widespread bombing operation targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites. In response, Iran has fired drones, ballistic missiles and reportedly hypersonic missiles at Israeli targets. The Israeli government says at least 24 people have been killed on its territory, while Iranian authorities report at least 224 dead from Israeli airstrikes.
Erdoğan criticized the timing of the Israeli strikes, noting that they coincided with ongoing nuclear negotiations involving Tehran. “These attacks were organized while the Iranian nuclear negotiations were taking place,” he said. “Israel, which possesses nuclear weapons and does not recognize any international rules, did not wait for the negotiations to end but carried out a terrorist act without waiting for the result.”
The Turkish leader said the Israeli attacks have raised serious security concerns for Ankara and warned that his government is taking precautions to prepare for any spillover.
“We are closely following Israel’s terrorist attacks on Iran. All our institutions are on high alert regarding the possible effects of these attacks on Turkey,” he said. “We are making preparations for every kind of scenario. Nobody should dare to test us.”
Erdoğan has intensified both his criticism of Israel and his focus on defense readiness in recent days. On Monday he announced plans to expand production of medium and long-range missiles to bolster Turkey’s deterrence in light of the regional escalation.
Turkey, which has diplomatic ties with both Israel and Iran, has offered to play a mediating role in the crisis while simultaneously ramping up military preparedness. The conflict has already drawn international concern, prompting emergency discussions at the United Nations and warnings from global leaders about the risk of wider war.