Turkey sparked outrage on Friday after its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered a day of mourning for the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, leading to flags around the globe being lowered to half-mast, including in Israel. The Israeli foreign minister summoned the deputy Turkish ambassador for a 'severe reprimand' after the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag in honor of Haniyeh's death.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz expressed that 'The State of Israel will not tolerate expressions of mourning for a murderer like Ismail Haniyeh,' and accused Erdogan of turning Turkey into a 'dictatorship' due to its support for 'Hamas' murderers and rapists, against the stance of the entire free world.'
In response to Katz's comments, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oncu Keceli stated, 'You cannot achieve peace by killing negotiators or threatening diplomats,' in an apparent reference to Haniyeh's involvement in ongoing ceasefire talks.
Reports indicated that the Turkish flag was lowered to half-mast not only in Tel Aviv but also in Washington, D.C., although these images were not immediately verified. Neither the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C., nor the U.S. State Department responded to inquiries regarding the incident.
Erdogan has been vocal in condemning the killing of the Hamas leader earlier in the week in Iran. Haniyeh was reportedly killed in an attack involving a bomb planted in the visitor quarters where he was staying in Tehran. Questions have arisen over how a bomb could have been planted months in advance in a building heavily monitored by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Unlike the strike in Beirut on Tuesday, for which Israel claimed responsibility, Israel has not taken credit for the killing of Haniyeh. Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah have accused Israel of Haniyeh's death and have vowed to seek revenge.
