Retired Turkish colonel on TV: if Israel attacks Turkey, “Turkish commanders will drink their morning coffee in Tel Aviv”

A retired Turkish staff colonel (Emekli Kurmay Albay), Dr. Çağlar Özer, spoke on the programme “Gündem Özel” of the Turkish channel TGRT Haber about the possibility of an Israeli attack on Turkey and argued that twenty-four hours later Israel’s “geography” would change.

“Turkish commanders will drink their morning coffee in Tel Aviv”

Özer considered the possibility of Israel coming into “physical contact” with Turkey, that is, armed conflict, and launching missiles against it. “If Israel loses its mind and is so crazy as to come into physical contact with Turkey, if it says ‘let me fire a missile at a NATO member country, let me open a front that will put me against Turkey, let me create conditions of conflict’, 24 hours later Israel’s geography changes. And Turkish commanders go and drink their morning coffee in Tel Aviv. I say it plainly and clearly,” he said, according to Turkish press reports of the broadcast.

In the scenario Özer describes, Israel fires a missile at a NATO member and opens a front against Turkey. Israel accuses Ankara of destabilising the Eastern Mediterranean, as was evident from Israel’s harsh criticism of Turkey over the Turkish–Libyan memorandum, which Greece, Cyprus, the EU and Egypt regard as null and void.

The elections in Israel and the US vetoes

On the same programme Özer commented on the elections in Israel, saying he does not expect a change in the country’s foreign policy whichever government is formed. He also criticised the US policy of vetoes in the UN Security Council and, referring to the deaths of children in Iran, the American stance on these developments. The segment was published on the evening of Tuesday, October 27 (Turkish time) and on Wednesday, October 28 by Turkish websites, among them Yeni Şafak and Ensonhaber.

Turkish–Israeli tension

Assessments seeing Turkey as a threat have been heard from the Israeli side too. Özer is a retired officer, and his remarks were made on a television programme, not as an official position. We have covered the Israeli view of Turkey in Smotrich: “Strengthening the Greek alliance is necessary” against Turkey.