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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a warning to Israel, stating that any attempts to target Hamas members in Turkey would result in severe consequences. This statement followed the release of recordings where the head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency expressed intentions to eliminate Hamas leaders globally, including in Turkey.

Erdogan, emphasizing the severity of his warning, stated, “They do not know the Turks. They don’t know us… If they commit such a mistake, they should know that they will pay a very heavy price for it.”

Erdogan’s remarks came as he was departing Qatar, where he had been engaged in high-level talks. He strongly opposed the idea of a buffer zone in Gaza proposed by Israel, reaffirming Gaza’s sovereignty and Palestinian rights. During the Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Doha, Erdogan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing war crimes during the conflict in Gaza and insisted on accountability. Erdogan also highlighted the significant loss of life in the conflict, citing a death toll higher than Hamas’s claims.

The Turkish president has been vocal in his support for Hamas, not considering it a terror group, and advocating for its inclusion in Gaza’s rebuilding efforts. Despite Turkey’s claim of hosting only Hamas’s political wing, Israel has claimed they have evidence of the military wing’s operations in Istanbul.