Erdogan opposed Netanyahu’s attendance at summit, Turkish official confirms
By SUZAN FRASER
Associated Press
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made clear he would not accept Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s presence at a high-level summit in Egypt, a senior official said Tuesday, adding that Ankara had made plans to prevent the Israeli leader from attending the meeting.
The remarks by Omer Celik, spokesman for Erdogan’s ruling party, marked the first public confirmation that Turkey had actively worked to block Netanyahu’s participation in Monday’s summit at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh aimed at supporting the ceasefire in Gaza.
Erdogan, whose government maintains ties with Hamas, was one of the signatories of a four-party declaration alongside U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of Egypt and Qatar.
Netanyahu’s office declined to comment Tuesday.
Although Netanyahu initially accepted a last-minute invitation to attend the summit, his office later announced that he would not participate due to a Jewish holiday.
On Monday, a Turkish government official who requested anonymity to discuss the issue, told The Associated Press that Erdogan, a vocal critic of Netanyahu’s military actions in Gaza, had launched a diplomatic effort to prevent his attendance. The official said Turkey’s initiative gained support from several other nations, ultimately leading to Netanyahu’s withdrawal.
“Our president’s stance is absolutely clear,” Celik told journalists. “He would never accept being in the same photo frame as Netanyahu. He would not accept being at the same summit. He wouldn’t accept sitting at the same table.”
Celik said Turkey always prepares for multiple scenarios ahead of such summits. “Netanyahu’s participation was not initially on the table,” he said. “However, since we are prepared for every possible scenario, we had already worked out how to respond if such a situation arose.”
On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also warned Egyptian and U.S. officials that he would withdraw from the summit if Netanyahu attended, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency.
Erdogan did not comment publicly over Turkey’s role in preventing Netanyahu’s attendance.
In a speech on Tuesday, Erdogan hailed the declaration signed in Egypt as a significant step toward halting what he described as “genocide” in Gaza. Erdogan has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza — an allegation Israel strongly denies.
Despite the breakthrough, the scars of two years of intense suffering may never fully heal, while the reconstruction of Gaza would be a long process, the Turkish president said.
“The devastation caused by the genocide may never be fully repaired,” he said. “Rebuilding Gaza will likely take years.”
Meanwhile, Erdogan’s plane aborted its landing at Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday due to a runway issue, according to Hurriyet newspaper, which is closely aligned with the government. The report dismissed claims that the presidential aircraft had circled above the Red Sea as Erdogan threatened to boycott the meeting.
