Israel “cannot live without an enemy” and its government is now trying to portray Turkey as one, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Monday, as tensions between the erstwhile allies continued to escalate.

The dispute between Ankara and Jerusalem — which has ramped up ever since Hamas’s October 7 attack and the subsequent war in Gaza — entered a new phase over the weekend after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned his US counterpart Donald Trump of “possible provocations and sabotage” that could jeopardize an initial ceasefire arrangement in the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Saturday that Israel would continue to confront Tehran and its regional allies, and said the campaign was “not over.”

“After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy,” Fidan said in a televised interview with the state‑run Anadolu news agency.

“We see that not only Netanyahu’s administration but also some figures in the opposition — though not all — are seeking to declare Turkey the new enemy,” he said.

“This is a new development in Israel… turning into a state strategy,” he added.

This is not the first time top Turkish officials have suggested that........

© The Times of Israel