Israel's Armenian Genocide Recognition Sparks Sharp Retaliation from Turkey

An Israeli government decision to recognize the "Armenian genocide" committed by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 has significantly escalated a nearly three-year dispute between Turkey and Israel. The rift has reached a peak of mutual accusations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

While the Israeli government's decision requires parliamentary approval, Turkey reacted sharply. Ankara's Foreign Ministry stated that Israel, which it accused of systematically oppressing Palestinians and facing genocide charges in Gaza, is attempting to conceal its actions through this political decision regarding the 1915 events. Turkey strongly rejects the term "genocide" in relation to the historical events concerning Armenians under the Ottoman Empire, a sensitive and disputed issue.

Historically, successive Israeli governments avoided formal recognition of the "Armenian genocide" to maintain relations with Turkey, once a key regional strategic partner. However, regional dynamics have shifted dramatically since the October 7, 2023, conflict, pushing Israel and Turkey further apart with diverging stances on issues like Syria and the Mediterranean.

Some Israeli analysts suggest that Netanyahu's government might be intentionally creating a crisis, hoping for intervention from U.S. President Donald Trump. They speculate that Trump could propose a solution to restore Israeli-Turkish ties, establish security arrangements in Syria favorable to Israel, and facilitate understandings on gas projects that bypass Turkey.

Thirty-one countries officially recognize the "Armenian genocide," according to Armenian data. Israel had previously hinted at taking a similar stance whenever tensions with Turkey rose. Notably, just before the Gaza war erupted in October 2023, Erdogan and Netanyahu were seen shaking hands in New York, signaling a diplomatic normalization process that began in 2021. This handshake followed an 11-year public freeze in relations after Israel's 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara flotilla ship. As the Gaza conflict progressed, Turkey announced the severance of trade ties with Israel, characterizing Hamas's actions as a liberation movement.

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the Israeli government, which systematically oppresses the Palestinian people before the eyes of the entire world, and is being tried before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing genocide against the people of Gaza, seeks to cover up its crimes through the political decision it has taken regarding the events of 1915.