Story perspectives

Israel Katz Calls Erdogan “Paper Sultan” Over Gaza Comments

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 8:02 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Katz slams Erdogan

Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “paper sultan” after Erdogan’s UN General Assembly address.
Katz accused Erdogan of financing Hamas and seeking to restore the Ottoman Empire.
Erdogan claimed 74,000 Gaza civilians, mostly children and women, died in the past three years.
Erdogan said over 70% of Gaza’s generators were offline and called Gaza “the most inhumane concentration camp”.

Summary

Katz warns Hamas

Katz warned Hamas that any Israeli abduction will trigger evacuation of Gaza City’s one-million residents.
He threatened to destroy residential buildings and infrastructure if Hamas attempts kidnappings.
The Israel Defense Forces control roughly 54% of the Gaza Strip.
IDF security zones along the Yellow Line are civilian-free and host military posts.
Katz pledged not to withdraw from the Yellow Line while Hamas remains in Gaza.

History

Historical Context

The 2010 Gaza flotilla raid, in which Israeli forces killed nine Turkish activists, sparked a diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government paid $20 million compensation to the families of the victims, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded a formal apology and UN investigation. Today, Defense Minister Israel Katz’s accusations that Erdogan finances Hamas and seeks to revive the Ottoman Empire echo the same antagonism that resurfaced after the 2010 incident. The lingering mistrust has hardened Israel’s red-line policy, prompting Katz to threaten mass evacuations of Gaza’s one-million residents if Hamas kidnappings occur.

1 of 3

Katz slams Erdogan

Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “paper sultan” after Erdogan’s UN General Assembly address.
Katz accused Erdogan of financing Hamas and seeking to restore the Ottoman Empire.
Erdogan claimed 74,000 Gaza civilians, mostly children and women, died in the past three years.
Erdogan said over 70% of Gaza’s generators were offline and called Gaza “the most inhumane concentration camp”.

1 / 3