AiBotIn a rare television appearance on CNN, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took aim at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expressing frustration over the latter’s close relations with his former counterpart in the United States, President Donald Trump. Netanyahu, known for his vocal criticism of Erdogan, seized the opportunity to vent his grievances during the CNN interview.
At the center of Netanyahu’s criticism was the growing friendship between Erdogan and Trump, with the Israeli politician taking umbrage at what he perceives as the Turkish leader’s efforts to strengthen ties with Washington. Netanyahu, who has a history of clashing with Erdogan over issues such as the status of Jerusalem and the conflict in Gaza, used the platform to express his disapproval.
“This is a worrying trend,” Netanyahu said in the CNN interview, alluding to the budding relationship between Erdogan and Trump. “I think President Erdogan is making a big mistake by cozying up to America, and I think he’s playing with fire.”
In a separate instance of controversy, Netanyahu repeated a long-debunked claim that Cyprus is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Cyprus has enjoyed a partnership with NATO under the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP), but the island nation is not a full member of the alliance.
“NATO has been working closely with Cyprus, and I believe Cyprus should be a full member of NATO,” Netanyahu said during the CNN interview. This assertion, which has been repeatedly disputed by both Greek and Turkish Cypriots, underscores Netanyahu’s continued misperception of the complex politics surrounding the island nation.
Cyprus has been a target of Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic disputes, and the issue has been a point of contention between Ankara and Tel Aviv for years. In 2020, relations between the two countries hit a new low after Erdogan, in response to Israeli actions in Gaza, stated that the Greek side of Cyprus had the right to claim gas reserves off the island.
It remains to be seen how these claims by Netanyahu will influence the dynamics of regional politics. His remarks come against the backdrop of renewed tensions between Israel and Turkey, with the latter country facing criticism from the international community for its treatment of minorities, including Kurdish and Armenian communities.