Amichai Chikli warned of Ankara’s ambitions after officials spoke of “liberating” Jerusalem, and cited Egypt-Turkey drills as concerning.
Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli on Sunday sharply criticized Turkey’s leadership, accusing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of promoting “imperial nostalgia” and hostile ambitions toward Jerusalem.
In a post on X, Chikli referenced recent remarks by Turkish officials about the “liberation” of Al-Aqsa mosque and Jerusalem, framing them as part of broader regional ambitions tied to Ankara’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine and its role in northern Cyprus.
(Blue Homeland is a maritime-geopolitical doctrine and strategy that advocates for expanded Turkish EEZ [exclusive economic zone] claims across the Black Sea, Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.)
Chikli also warned Egypt against closer military cooperation with Turkey, following reports of a joint air exercise between the two countries, and argued that such alignments could have destabilizing consequences.