Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz has consistently criticized the Turkish government online, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In a recent statement, Israel Katz claims a dispute between Erdogan and the late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's sons over a withheld inheritance. Misbar's investigative team has been closely monitoring the minister’s unsubstantiated claims on the X platform.
Israel's FM Katz Accuses Erdogan of Dispute with Haniyeh’s Sons Over Inheritance
On August 16, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, posted on the social media platform X, claiming that a dispute had arisen between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the sons of the late Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
Katz alleged that the dispute was over $3 billion held in Turkish bank accounts under Haniyeh's name, which Erdogan refused to release. Katz further questioned how Haniyeh could have accumulated such wealth and insinuated a connection between Erdogan and the funds, suggesting that Turkey and its government have been involved in financing and supporting the Palestinian resistance group.
Turkey Refutes Israel's Foreign Minister Claim
Turkey has rejected claims made by Israel’s Foreign Minister regarding a dispute between the Turkish government and the sons of the late Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, over withheld inheritance, labeling the claim as deliberate “disinformation.”
In a statement, Turkey’s Presidential Communications Directorate refuted the claim, stating that Haniyeh had no savings in Turkish banks. The Directorate also referenced recent visits by Haniyeh's sons, Abdussalam and Hammam Haniyeh, to President Erdogan to receive his condolences, emphasizing that no such issue was discussed during the meeting. The statement further accused Israel of conducting disinformation campaigns.
Furthermore, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry dismissed Katz’s claims as “slander intended for disinformation purposes.” The Ministry added, “These lies, aimed at diverting attention from the genocide taking place in Gaza, will not hinder our support for the Palestinian people.”
Israel's FM Israel Katz Publicly Attacks Turkey’s Erdogan
The Turkish government has consistently criticized Israeli actions and war crimes in the Gaza Strip. This criticism has provoked backlash from Israeli political figures, particularly within the country’s far-right ruling coalition, with Foreign Minister Katz leading the charge against Erdogan.
In July, Katz escalated tensions by calling on NATO to expel Turkey over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s threats to deploy troops to Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry, according to media reports, stated that Katz instructed diplomats to urgently engage with NATO members, urging them to condemn Turkey and demand its expulsion from the alliance due to Erdogan’s "dangerous rhetoric."
Israel's FM Israel Katz’s Record of Spreading Misinformation Online
It is not uncommon that Israel Katz has spread disinformation about Turkey and its President Erdogan. He has repeatedly accused the Republic of Turkey of supporting Hamas, often disseminating misinformation to back these claims.
On August 9, Katz uploaded a very badly altered image of Turkey’s President Erdogan meeting with the new leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar.
Previously, Misbar’s team investigated the image and found it to be fake as the original image dates back to April 20, 2024, showing Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meeting with Ismail Haniyeh, then the leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Istanbul, Turkey.
In addition, Israel Katz has attacked Erdogan, labeling him an “anti-Semitic dictator” and citing Turkey’s ban on Instagram as evidence.
However, Katz failed to mention that the ban was implemented due to the platform’s failure to comply with the country's "laws and rules" and public sensitivities. The Republic of Turkey restored access to Instagram on August 10, about nine days after the ban, following the company's agreement to cooperate with authorities to address the government's concerns.
In another post, Katz publicly threatened Erdogan with the same fate as Saddam Hussein, including a combined image of both leaders in his caption.
Katz further drew a parallel between Turkey and Iran, accusing both countries of supporting Hamas against Israel during the ongoing war. He claimed that Erdogan has transformed Turkey into a state that endorses terrorism, aligning it with what he termed the “Iranian axis of evil,” driven by “extreme ideology and blatant anti-Semitism.”
Katz included a satirical AI-generated image of Iran’s Ali Khamenei holding a baby depicted as Erdogan in his post.
Erdogan Threatens Military Intervention in Israel's Gaza War
At the end of July, a war of words erupted between Israel and Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened that Turkey could intervene militarily in Israel’s conflict in Gaza.
Turkish and Israeli officials exchanged sharp remarks following Erdogan's speech to his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, in which he stated, “There is no reason” Turkey could not take action, referencing past military interventions in other countries.
While harsh rhetoric between the two countries has been common during the Gaza war, the latest threats and insults have heightened fears of a broader escalation. In response, Turkey once again compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating, “Just as genocidal Hitler ended, so will genocidal Netanyahu.”
In May, Turkey halted all exports and imports to and from Israel, according to the Turkish Ministry of Trade, which cited the “worsening humanitarian tragedy” in Gaza. The ministry stated, “Export and import transactions related to Israel have been stopped, covering all products.”
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