Ankara, Turkey – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a stern warning to Israel, declaring that the country will “pay the price” for committing what he called a “genocide” in Gaza. The comments were made on Monday, October 7, marking the anniversary of the war that began last year following Hamas’s attacks on Israel. The statement was reported by Anadolu Agency.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Erdogan wrote, “It must not be forgotten that sooner or later, Israel will pay for this ‘genocide’.” He further emphasized that the violence has continued unabated for a year now, with no signs of resolution.
Erdogan went on to compare the situation to historical events, stating, “Just as the united front of humanity stopped Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his network of murder will also be stopped.”
The conflict began on October 7, last year, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, including 300 soldiers, and taking 251 hostages to Gaza. In retaliation, Israel has since carried out widespread attacks on Gaza.
Over the past year, Israeli strikes have claimed the lives of at least 41,909 people, the majority of whom were women and children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry. An additional 97,303 people have been injured. The United Nations has stated that the casualty figures reported by Gaza’s health authorities are credible.
Erdogan’s remarks highlight growing international tensions and calls for accountability as the violence in Gaza persists, drawing parallels to historical atrocities and signaling continued pressure on Israeli leadership from Turkey and other global actors.