Erdogan expressed his opinion in a speech at an award ceremony in Ankara, on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. "They usually vilify Hitler. What is the difference between you and Hitler? They will make us miss Hitler. Is what Netanyahu is doing any different from what Hitler did? That's not the issue," said Erdogan, as quoted from Al Jazeera.

However, despite the harsh criticism, Turkey continues to maintain commercial relations with Israel amidst the attacks on Gaza that have killed more than 21,000 people, injured 55,000 others, and displaced nearly 2.3 million residents. The bombing by Israel began on October 7 after the Hamas group launched an attack on southern Israel, resulting in the death of over 1,100 people and the capture of around 240 individuals.