As Iran, Russia’s war with Ukraine and NATO’s defense spending dominate the organization’s summit in Ankara — one issue that has escaped the media glare is the increasingly antisemitic rhetoric coming from Turkish leaders.

As relations between Turkey and Israel continue to hit new lows, a war of words between the two nations has erupted.

In a July 2 interview with CNN Türk, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Israel has «become a burden that humanity can no longer bear,» the Jerusalem Post reported. Fidan also said that Israel is representative of «humanity’s common problems,» and asked other countries to apply pressure to the Jewish State, according to Israel National News.

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In a press statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called Fidan’s words «a clear call for genocide. The Jewish people know very well what happens when such words are allowed to go unchallenged. The first step on the road to genocide is dehumanization.

«This is a sentence that sounds very familiar to sentences from about 100 years ago,» Sa’ar added. «To speak about a people as a ‘problem for humanity.’ What do you do with a ‘burden that you can no longer bear?’» he asked.

Sinan Ciddi, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and director of FDD’s Turkey program, told Fox News Digital that Fidan’s statement was «some of the vilest rhetoric to come out of any statesman since the Holocaust.»

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Istanbul, Turkey October 28, 2023.  (Dilara Senkaya/Reuters)

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Ciddi said that escalated anti-Israel rhetoric in Turkey «goes all the way back to 2008» when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan «began the process of ripping apart the bilateral relationship between Israel and Turkey. But after Oct. 7, it just went into overdrive,» he said. «I have never heard any Arab leader utter the words that Foreign Minister Fidan has said.»

Yet Erdogan has condemned antisemitism; the Turkish Minute reported that he told Turkish religious minority representatives at an Ankara dinner in March that «just as Islamophobia is a crime against humanity, antisemitism is also a crime, an evil that cannot be considered reasonable or legitimate.»

Yet despite his recent condemnation, he and other ministers have continued with their rhetoric against the Jewish state.

In June, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ҁiftҁi said that the world would «witness the liberation of Jerusalem,» according to the Times of Israel.

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In May 2021, the Times of Israel reported that Erdoğan called Israelis «murderers,» claiming they were ‘only satisfied by sucking their [victims’] blood.» At the time, the State Department spokesperson issued a strong condemnation of Erdoğan’s «anti-Semitic comments regarding the Jewish people,» calling them «reprehensible.»

In May 2025, Erdoğan invoked similar language, accusing Israel of being «a terror state that feeds on the blood, lives and tears of the innocent,» Israel National News reported.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar (R) and Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon (L) speak to journalists ahead of a United Nations Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters on August 5, 2025 in New York (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Anti-Israel sentiment in Turkey has infiltrated far beyond leadership. A Pew Research poll from June found that Turkey had the highest level of anti-Israel sentiment of any polled country, with 91 percent of the population holding «very unfavorable» views on Israel, 6% holding an «unfavorable» view, and just 1% expressing any favor of Israel.

In response to questions about whether the State Department plans to respond to antisemitic statements from Turkish leadership, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that «Türkiye is a longstanding and valued NATO Ally and we continue to engage on all aspects of our important and multi-faceted relationship.»

Ciddi said there are «numerous channels» for the State Department and Trump administration to reprimand Turkey for its unchecked hatred. «The president could obviously pull aside a Turkish counterpart and demand an apology,» he explained, while the State Department could address the comments or place Turkey on a watchlist.

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The Hague, Netherlands – In photos, NATO leaders participate in the summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025. NATO countries pledged to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, as demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump. The summit’s final declaration states that countries will invest «at least 3.5%» of their GDP annually in military capabilities and an additional 1.5% in protecting critical infrastructure. (Handout / Latin America News Agency via Reuters Connect)

As the two-day NATO summit winds down in Ankara, Ciddi said that Turkey «is going to try and overshadow anything else» and «promote itself as the sort of premiere NATO ally, so we need to watch out for Turkey’s whitewashing of its human rights record.» Ciddi warned that «We cannot safeguard our allies’ democratic norms, rights and practices if we don’t hold member states like Turkey accountable for the threats that it presents.»

The Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C. did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

La jefa del régimen chavista, Delcy Rodríguez, promulgó este miércoles el reglamento que permitirá aplicar la reforma de la Ley Orgánica de Hidrocarburos. La normativa desarrolla los cambios aprobados por la Asamblea Nacional en enero y establece las reglas para atraer inversión privada nacional e internacional a un sector que durante más de dos décadas estuvo bajo un fuerte control estatal.

Durante un acto transmitido por el canal de propaganda Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), Rodríguez explicó que el reglamento fue elaborado tras revisar 1.389 resoluciones y afirmó que el objetivo es adecuar el marco regulatorio a la nueva legislación para “transformar” las reservas energéticas del país en una fuente de desarrollo económico.

“Habrá los recursos también para la recuperación, la reconstrucción de nuestra patria luego del doblete sísmico del 24 de junio”, declaró Rodríguez, al señalar que parte de la actividad económica derivada de la reforma estará orientada a financiar la recuperación de las zonas afectadas por los terremotos que dejaron al menos 3.685 fallecidos, 16.740 heridos y cerca de 18.000 personas sin vivienda.

El texto busca ofrecer mayor seguridad jurídica a las empresas interesadas en invertir en la explotación de petróleo y gas, al tiempo que actualiza las normas que regían el sector.

Rodríguez sostuvo anteriormente que la reforma mantiene la propiedad estatal sobre los yacimientos y aseguró que se trata de “una ley clara, con seguridad jurídica, con normas, adaptada a las prácticas internacionales de este sector”.

La modificación legislativa constituye uno de los cambios más importantes en la política petrolera venezolana desde la nacionalización de la industria en 1976 y, especialmente, desde las reformas impulsadas durante el gobierno de Hugo Chávez, que impusieron el control de Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) sobre prácticamente todas las actividades de exploración, producción y comercialización.

Con el nuevo esquema, las empresas privadas podrán asumir funciones técnicas y operativas en proyectos petroleros, una responsabilidad que durante décadas estuvo reservada a la empresa estatal. Asimismo, en determinadas empresas mixtas, el socio privado podrá encargarse de la administración operativa, aun cuando PDVSA mantenga la participación accionaria mayoritaria exigida por la legislación.

Otra de las novedades consiste en la posibilidad de que compañías privadas comercialicen directamente el petróleo producido, un cambio que modifica el modelo tradicional en el que esa función recaía casi exclusivamente en la estatal venezolana.

La reforma también introduce modificaciones tributarias destinadas a hacer más competitivos los proyectos de inversión. Aunque mantiene una regalía máxima de 30% sobre la producción, autoriza al Poder Ejecutivo a reducir ese porcentaje según las características económicas de cada iniciativa, las necesidades de inversión y otros criterios técnicos.

Además, elimina varios gravámenes y contribuciones especiales que se aplicaban al sector, incluyendo algunos vinculados a ingresos extraordinarios por altos precios internacionales del petróleo y otros aportes previstos en diferentes leyes.

Otro aspecto incorporado por la legislación es la posibilidad de resolver controversias contractuales mediante mecanismos de arbitraje y otros sistemas alternativos de solución de conflictos, una herramienta considerada relevante para empresas extranjeras interesadas en desarrollar proyectos en Venezuela.

La cúpula chavista espera que este nuevo marco incentive el regreso de inversionistas internacionales y facilite la participación de compañías energéticas que durante años redujeron o suspendieron sus operaciones debido al anterior modelo regulatorio.

La promulgación del reglamento coincide con la etapa de reconstrucción tras los terremotos del 24 de junio. Según cifras oficiales, 856 edificios resultaron afectados y 190 colapsaron. En el estado La Guaira, el más golpeado por el desastre, una evaluación preliminar del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo estimó la existencia de aproximadamente 1,2 millones de toneladas de escombros, de las cuales unas 915.000 corresponden a edificaciones dañadas y cerca de 332.000 toneladas a enseres y pertenencias de las familias afectadas.

China is using control over global seas as a tool of «political coercion,» the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom warned, as President Donald Trump is restating his interest in Greenland for that very same reason.

China is seeking to turn ports, ships and supply chains into instruments of geopolitical leverage, U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Warren Stephens warned in a statement to the International Maritime Organization Council (IMO).

«I spoke about a challenge that we cannot afford to ignore: China’s systematic effort to use maritime power as an instrument of political coercion,» Stephens wrote in a Truth Social post after the speech. «Beijing has pursued an aggressive strategy of acquiring port concessions and infrastructure around the world — not simply for commercial gain, but to extend its strategic reach and weaponize that access against sovereign nations.»

The U.S. is «not a passive observer of maritime affairs,» Stephens told the IMO, calling America a «cornerstone of the global maritime economy.» He said the U.S. Maritime Transportation System supports $5.4 trillion in economic activity each year and nearly 30 million jobs.

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The warning comes as Trump continued peacemaking efforts in the Strait of Hormuz and pressing Demark and NATO for U.S. control over Greenland due to Chinese and Russian threats to free navigation in the Arctic.

«Denmark doesn’t spend money to really help Greenland, but it’s an important part for the United States, and it’s surrounded by China ships and Russian ships,» Trump said at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

For global security, Greenland «should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,» Trump added.

«They wouldn’t go along with it,» Trump said of Denmark. «And with all the money we spend to help them with Russia. And we don’t have to spend any money, we could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe because, as you probably noticed, Europe is a very different place than it was 20 years ago. A lot different.»

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U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Warren Stephens issued an urgent warning that China is using global dominance over waterways as a political coercion tool. (Lucy North/PA Images via Getty Images)

Greenland’s position between the Arctic and North Atlantic has made it a key piece of U.S. security planning.

«President Trump has made restoring American maritime leadership a national priority,» Stephens said in his IMO remarks warning on China’s broader maritime footprint.

«The evidence is clear and growing,» Stephens said. «China currently builds more than half of the world’s ships. It dominates the production of ship-to-shore cranes and shipping containers.»

Stephens cited Panama as a recent example, pointing to a ruling by Panama’s Supreme Court that found CK Hutchison’s port concessions at the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals unconstitutional. The terminals sit at opposite ends of the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most strategically important trade corridors.

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Stephens said China’s response to the Panama ruling was «swift and punishing,» accusing Beijing of taking action against Panama-flagged vessels in a move the U.S. characterized as an attempt to undermine Panama’s sovereignty and disrupt global supply chains.

«What happened to Panama is a warning to every nation in this room,» Stephens said.

«When a country allows a foreign power or its proxies to control its ports, it does not simply accept a commercial arrangement,» he added. «It accepts a vulnerability.»

Stephens urged IMO member states to closely scrutinize deals allowing foreign entities, especially state-linked enterprises, to operate critical port infrastructure.

«Transparency, the rule of law, and genuine sovereignty are not obstacles to commerce,» Stephens said. «They are its foundation.»

The ambassador also said the U.S. would press for maritime security, sanctions enforcement, protection of flag state rights, freedom of navigation and updated standards on polar operations, autonomous vessels and cyber risk management.

«The pattern is consistent: China uses its maritime and economic power to coerce, to intimidate, and to punish those who assert their sovereign rights,» Stephens said.

The Chinese government has routinely rejected U.S. accusations that its overseas infrastructure investments are coercive, portraying its port, shipping and Belt and Road projects as commercial partnerships that support global trade and development.

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Stephens said the U.S. will continue contributing expertise, resources and leadership at the IMO, but warned that the rules-based maritime order cannot be taken for granted.

«A free and open ocean is not guaranteed,» he said. «It must be defended.»