🇮🇱🇹🇷 ISRAEL MAKES A DIRECT APPEAL TO THE KURDS — A SENSITIVE MESSAGE FOR TURKEY
Israel’s Foreign Minister has issued a message specifically addressing the Kurdish people, calling for stronger ties between Israel and ethnic and religious minorities across the Middle East particularly between Jews and Kurds.
In the message, the Israeli minister described the Kurds as a people living across four countries Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria and noted that they have yet to achieve an independent sovereign state.
«“The Kurds are a minority people living in four countries. Unfortunately, they have not yet achieved political independence. Therefore, we believe in strengthening our relations with minority peoples in the Middle East, particularly the relationship between Jews and Kurds.”»
⚠️ WHY THIS IS HIGHLY SENSITIVE FOR TURKEY:
The issue of Kurdish nationalism and the prospect of an independent Kurdish state is one of Ankara’s most sensitive national security concerns. A significant portion of the wider Kurdish-populated region lies within Turkey, making any international support for Kurdish political aspirations particularly controversial from Ankara’s perspective.
Israel’s public outreach could therefore add another layer of tension to already strained relations between Israel and Turkey, particularly as regional rivalries and disputes continue to intensify.
The message highlights how the Kurdish issue could once again become a major geopolitical flashpoint in the Middle East.