Khaberni - The appearance of a dummy depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hanging from a construction crane in northeastern Turkey, sparked outrage in Israel.
The pro-government Turkish newspaper "Yeni Şafak" published photos showing the dummy hanging from a crane in the city of Trabzon on the Black Sea, with a banner above it stating: "Death Penalty for Netanyahu".
It is unclear who is behind this display.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the "X" platform, stated that the dummy was made by a Turkish academic, with "proud and declared" assistance from a governmental company.
The ministry added in its post: "The Turkish authorities have not distanced themselves from this shameful act. In Turkey, under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hatred and anti-Semitism are not condemned, but celebrated," according to the ministry.
A spokeswoman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem pointed out that the university in Trabzon is state-owned, without any initial official response from the Turkish side.
Relations between Turkey and Israel have been tense for years and have further deteriorated following the attack launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Turkish President Erdogan accuses Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of committing "genocide" in Gaza, while Turkey has played a mediating role in achieving the most recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
