Erdogan: NATO Radar in Turkey Had No Role in Intercepting Iranian Missiles Towards Israel

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, denied the use of NATO's radar base in his country for intercepting drones and missiles fired by the Iranian government towards Israel. Speaking at a rally expressing solidarity with Palestinians, Erdogan stated, "The radar center in Kurecik [Malatya Province] has no relation, connection, or link with any country other than the security of our country and our allies, and it cannot have such a connection." In another part of his speech, he claimed that Turkey has reduced its diplomatic and commercial relations with Israel and will impose further trade restrictions against Israel. According to him, from a commercial standpoint, Turkey is the only country that has imposed restrictions on Israel in 54 categories of goods. This week, the Turkish President met with a Hamas delegation led by Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas's political bureau, in Istanbul. Abbas Vali, a political science professor, noted that under Erdogan's leadership, Turkey prioritizes Hamas over the Palestinian Authority. Over the past two decades, Turkey has maintained very close relations with Hamas, and in recent weeks, it has limited exports of 54 products to Israel in criticism of Israel's military operations aimed at destroying this Islamist group. Aluminum, steel, construction materials, jet fuel, and chemical fertilizers are among the products that Turkey has restricted exports of to Israel. In response to Turkey's actions, Israel has banned some of Turkey's products. Erdogan criticized the West's double standards regarding the Islamic Republic and Israel. The Wall Street Journal reported that Hamas is seeking to relocate its political office outside of Qatar. Turkey has arrested seven more individuals on charges of espionage for Mossad. Arab countries and Turkey have called on the international court to declare the "occupation of Palestinian lands" illegal. Raisi's visit to Turkey coincides with the escalation of the crisis in the region.