Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said there is no reason for a direct confrontation between Turkey and Israel, as he called for a reduction in tensions between the two countries. In an interview with The National, Fidan said not all Israeli politicians shared the views of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that there were still “sensible and capable” people in Israel with a strategic outlook. He criticised what he described as the rhetoric of some Israeli politicians, particularly ahead of upcoming elections, saying certain figures needed a new enemy for political reasons. Fidan said Israel had previously been involved in conflicts with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and claimed that some Israeli politicians were now portraying Turkey as a new adversary. The Turkish foreign minister stressed that disagreements between Ankara and Tel Aviv should not lead to direct confrontation and should instead be addressed through diplomatic channels.
