Israel accuses Turkey of hypocrisy over criticism of military operations
Israel’s Foreign Ministry cited Turkey’s military presence in Cyprus, Syria and Iraq in response to Ankara’s criticism.
Jerusalem, Israel. Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday accused Turkey of hypocrisy over its criticism of Israeli military operations, citing Ankara’s control of 36 per cent of Cyprus and its military presence in the region.
Ministry statement
“Turkey has the audacity to criticise Israel. But what are the facts on the ground?” the ministry said in a social media post.
It said thousands of Turkish troops were stationed outside Turkey and that Ankara maintained military bases and outposts in Cyprus, Syria and Iraq.
The ministry said Turkey “occupies 36% of Cyprus, 5% of Syria and approximately 2,000 square kilometres of Iraq”.
Comparison with Syria deployment
The Israeli ministry contrasted Turkey’s military presence with Israel’s own deployment in Syria, saying Israel “temporarily controls 0.1 per cent of Syrian territory” in what it described as a “security zone” intended to “protect Israeli citizens”.
Israel captured the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau, from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and effectively annexed the territory in 1981.
The United Nations regards the territory as occupied and continues to support the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, which established a UN-monitored buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces.
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