Israel Wants to Hunt Hamas Militants in Turkey, President Erdogan: They Will Bear Very Heavy Consequences

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkey)

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday warned Israel that they would suffer very heavy consequences if they intended to eliminate members of Hamas militants in his country.

The warning came after a recording of the head of Israel's security agency, Shin Bet, was revealed Sunday night mentioning Tel Aviv's plans to hunt down Hamas figures in various locations around the world, including Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar.

On Monday, Ankara warned Israel that there would be serious consequences if Hamas members were killed on Turkish territory.

"If they make such a mistake, they should know that they will suffer very heavy consequences," said President Erdogan, as reported by Reuters, December 7.

"They don't know the Turks. They don't know us," he continued, according to The Times of Israel.

"If they dare to take steps against Turkey, they will be punished and will never be able to rise again," stressed President Erdogan.

"Those who try to do something like that must remember that the consequences could be very serious. There is no one in the world who is not aware of the progress Turkey has achieved in both the intelligence and security fields," he stressed.

He added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is entangled in legal problems, has put the entire region in danger for the sake of his political survival.

"Netanyahu's government is endangering the security and future of the entire region in order to prolong its political life," said President Erdogan.

As previously reported, the head of Israel's security agency confirmed that his party would try to eliminate the Hamas militant group wherever they are, including abroad.

This was conveyed by Shin Bet Head Ronen Bar in a recording revealed Sunday evening on the Kan public broadcaster.

"The cabinet set a goal for us, to get rid of Hamas. And we are determined to do it, this is our Munich," he said in the recording.

"In every location, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar, everything," he continued.

"It will take a few years, but we will be there to make it happen," stressed Bar.

Bar admitted the intelligence agency failed in its mission ahead of the Hamas onslaught on October 7. However, Shin Bet is "now on an upward trend" and has taken lessons from the day's failures and implemented them.