Israel's Katz calls Erdogan 'paper tiger' over sham trials reports

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz called Turkish President Erdogan a 'paper tiger' after Turkey reportedly indicted Israeli leaders for a 2025 Gaza flotilla incident. Katz accused Erdogan of antisemitism and pursuing sham trials.

Israel Slams Erdogan as 'Paper Tiger'

Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, on Sunday slammed Turkish President Erdogan after reports had emerged claiming that he had announced trials for Israel's military and political leadership. Katz accused Erdogan of being a "paper tiger" and underlined that Israel would continue to defend itself.

In a post on X, Katz said, "Turkish President @RTErdogan, after revealing himself to be a paper tiger by failing to respond to the missiles fired from Iran onto Turkish soil, is now resorting to antisemitism and announcing sham trials in Turkey against Israel's political and military leadership." He slammed Erdogan and added, "What a grand absurdity. A Muslim Brotherhood member, a man who has massacred Kurds, is accusing Israel--which is defending itself against his partners in Hamas--of genocide." He underlined that Israel will continue to defend itself with strength and resolve--and said that it would be better for Erdogan to "sit quietly and stay silent."

Turkey Indicts Israeli Officials

The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday citing Turkish media that Turkey indicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday along with 35 other Israeli officials, for the naval interception of the October 2025 "Sumud" Gaza flotilla, and was seeking up to 4,596 years in prison as punishment. As per the Jerusalem Post, Istanbul's chief prosecutor accused those indicted of having been involved in a military operation against civilians in international waters, and sought a minimum sentence of 1,102 years. The list of those charged included Defence Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Netanyahu Hits Back at Erdogan

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said on X that the country would continue to fight Iran's terror regime and its proxies, "unlike Erdogan who accommodates them and massacred his own Kurdish citizens."

Earlier in a video message, Israeli PM Netanyahu he also said that the campaign against Iran "is not over," and added that historic achievements have been made, the Times of Israel reported. As per the news outlet, Netanyahu referred to a map of the Middle East with the Iranian axis highlighted in red, and said that "they wanted to strangle us, and we are strangling them." "We hit them, we still have more to do," he added.

Turkey Defends Erdogan, Rejects Allegations

Meanwhile in the wake of remarks by Israeli officials, Turkish Foreign Ministry in a message on X discarded the allegations against Erdogan.

It said, "The fact that our President has been targeted by Israeli officials with baseless, brazen, and false allegations is a result of the discomfort caused by the truths we have consistently voiced on every platform," read the post, adding that Turkey "will continue to stand by innocent civilians and will further its efforts to ensure that Netanyahu is held accountable for the crimes he has committed."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)