Turkey has no reason to start an open conflict with Israel, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in an interview with The National.

According to him, there are still reasonable and good people in Israel who are able to make decisions taking into account strategic interests.

At the same time, Fidan believes that with the elections approaching, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a number of other politicians may be interested in creating the image of a new external enemy.

As per the Turkish foreign minister, after military operations against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, the Israeli authorities need a new object of confrontation in order to increase support within their country.

Fidan stated that Israel is trying to present Turkey as just such an enemy. The policy of Netanyahu and his government is a burden for Israel itself, the region, and a threat to international security, the Turkish foreign minister noted.

Earlier, the Turkish foreign ministry accused the Israeli authorities of spreading disinformation and attempts to divert attention from the situation in the Gaza Strip. Ankara stated that the Netanyahu government was using propaganda to change the international agenda.

Relations between Turkey and Israel have remained tense since 2021, after another escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Ankara has repeatedly criticized the actions of the Israeli leadership in Gaza.