A Turkish television channel close to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has revealed a list described as a “bank of targets” inside the Israeli occupation state, in the event of a direct military confrontation between Ankara and Tel Aviv. The disclosure has stirred intense debate across media and political circles, given the sensitivity of ongoing regional tensions.
According to the channel, the list includes vital Israeli military and economic sites, most notably airbases in the Negev and Ramat David, in addition to the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff Headquarters—known as the Kirya—located in the heart of Tel Aviv.
The channel further noted that the list also covered the ports of Haifa, Ashdod, and Eilat, as well as the offshore gas extraction platforms Tamar and Leviathan in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the highly sensitive Dimona nuclear reactor in the Negev Desert.
Rising Tensions Between Ankara and Tel Aviv
The leak comes amid escalating political tensions between Turkey and the Israeli occupation since the onset of Israel’s devastating war on the besieged Gaza Strip. President Erdoğan has sharply increased his rhetoric against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, accusing it of committing massacres against Palestinian civilians.
In response, Israel has accused Ankara of providing political and media support to Hamas.
The airbases mentioned by the Turkish channel are among the most important strongholds of the Israeli Air Force. The Ramat David base in northern occupied Palestine hosts F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, while the Negev base serves as a central hub for southern air operations. The Dimona reactor, shrouded in secrecy by Israel, remains one of the most sensitive facilities of all.
Avoiding Confrontation with Ankara
Hebrew media recently reported that Israel backed down from targeting Hamas leaders in Turkey, opting instead to strike in Qatar—likely to avoid severe political and economic repercussions with Ankara, a NATO member state.
During his address at the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, President Erdoğan stressed the need for the Muslim world to intensify diplomatic efforts and increase pressure and sanctions against Israel. He described Israel’s recent attack on a Hamas delegation in Qatar as “taking Israeli barbarism to another level.”
Erdoğan’s Strong Words Against Israel
Erdoğan reaffirmed Turkey’s solidarity with Qatar, calling it a “friend, brother, and ally”, and described Israel today as an “embodiment of a terrorist mentality feeding on blood and chaos, disguised as a state.” He accused Netanyahu’s government of seeking to perpetuate massacres and genocide in Palestine while driving the region into greater turmoil.
The Turkish president declared that the Islamic world possesses the means and wisdom to thwart Israeli ambitions, urging tighter economic restrictions. He pointed out that Turkey had suspended all trade with Israel for over a year and a half, giving up an annual exchange valued at $9.5 billion.
Erdoğan reiterated Ankara’s unwavering commitment to the struggle until the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital. He also affirmed Turkey’s readiness to share its defence expertise with fellow Muslim nations.
Concluding his remarks, Erdoğan prayed for the souls of the Palestinians and Qataris martyred in the “treacherous Israeli attack”, wished recovery for the wounded, and stressed that Israeli aggression poses a grave threat to the region and must be stopped once and for all.
