The Telegraph deletes story falsely claiming Erdogan threatened to invade Israel

The Daily Telegraph has deleted a false story headlined "Erdogan threatens to invade Israel" which appears to have been based on statements the Turkish president made two years ago, taken out of context.

The British newspaper reported in a news article on Sunday that Erdogan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu of being "blinded by blood and hate" over Israel's bombing of southern Lebanon.

The Telegraph said that Erdogan warned Turkey could act militarily "just as we entered Libya and Karabakh" and that there was "nothing to prevent us doing it".

The newspaper further reported that Erdogan said there was "no reason" not to attack.

In reality the quotes came from remarks Erdogan made in July 2024 in a local meeting of the ruling AK Party in the Turkish coastal city of Rize.

He said: "We must be very strong so that Israel can't do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them."

The Turkish government released a statement on Monday saying reports that Erdogan threatened to invade Israel were "entirely unfounded".

"The assertions in these posts do not reflect the facts and constitute narratives intended to undermine regional stability," the statement said.

"In line with its long-standing state tradition and vision, the Republic of Türkiye has consistently assumed a leading role - both in our region and beyond - in advocating for an end to bloodshed, the protection of civilians, and the establishment of lasting peace."

The statement added: "Manipulative contents that seek to distort Türkiye’s efforts and humanitarian stance should not be given credence. As it has in the past, Türkiye will continue to be a voice of justice and peace in the region."

On Monday morning the Telegraph deleted the article, with a senior editor saying on X: "We've taken the story down. The quotes looks like they were old or made up all together."

By then the report had been picked up by multiple Israeli news outlets, including the Jerusalem Post and Maariv. 

Tensions between Israel and Turkey have escalated over the past week, as leaders exchanged pointed accusations amid a deepening geopolitical rift.

In a post on X, Netanyahu accused Erdogan of "massacring his own Kurdish citizens" and "accommodating Iran’s terror regime and its proxies".

Turkey responded with sharp condemnation, with officials in Ankara describing Netanyahu as the “Hitler of the era”, citing Israel’s assaults in Gaza and across the region.