Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar reacted strongly to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's remarks about Israel. Sa'ar stated that he considered Fidan's description of Israel as 'a burden humanity can no longer bear' a 'call for genocide.'
In an interview with CNN Türk on July 2, Hakan Fidan said Israel had become 'the representative of humanity's common problems' and called on other countries to pressure the Jewish state.
In a written statement, the Israeli minister said, 'The Jewish people know very well what happens when such words go unanswered. The first step on the road to genocide is dehumanization.' Sa'ar added, 'Referring to a people as a 'problem for humanity' is a phrase familiar from nearly 100 years ago.'
Sinan Ciddi, director of the Turkey program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital that Fidan's statement was 'one of the most disgusting remarks from a statesman since the Holocaust.' Ciddi noted that anti-Israel rhetoric in Turkey has persisted since 2008, but 'accelerated dramatically' after October 7.
Although President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned antisemitism in March, he and other ministers have continued their harsh rhetoric against Israel. In June, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said the world would 'witness the liberation of Jerusalem.' Erdoğan described Israelis as 'murderers' in May 2021 and accused Israel of being a 'terror state' in May 2025. A U.S. State Department spokesperson condemned Erdoğan's 'antisemitic comments targeting the Jewish people' over his 2021 remarks.
According to a June survey by the Pew Research Center, 91 percent of the public in Turkey views Israel 'very unfavorably.'
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Turkey is 'a valued NATO ally' and that they continue to engage on the relationship. Sinan Ciddi said the U.S. has many channels to warn Turkey over such rhetoric, that the president could demand an apology from his Turkish counterpart, or the State Department could place Turkey on a watchlist.
Ciddi warned that as the NATO summit in Ankara concludes, Turkey will 'try to overshadow everything' and present itself as the leading ally. Turkey's embassy in Washington did not respond to Fox News' request for comment.
