Movement of US warships toward Israel could lead to ‘massacres’: Turkish president

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is warning against the movement of U.S. warships toward Israel amid its ongoing conflict with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

“In our bilateral talks, I expressed to my dear friend — the U.S. is sending its aircraft vessel to Israel, but what is it doing in Israel? What is it coming to do?” Erdoğan asked during a joint press conference with visiting Austria Chancellor Karl Nehammer, per a translation by TRT World News.

“And around the aircraft carrier, which is coming here with the boat and aircrafts on the carrier, what will it do? It will hit Iran, Gaza and demolish it, and it will be a step towards a serious massacre,” Erdoğan continued.

The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean on Tuesday to “deter any actor” looking to escalate or widen the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Biden administration announced.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the decision to move the carrier strike group Sunday in the wake of Hamas’s multipronged, surprise attack over the weekend. The initial attacks left hundreds dead — mostly civilians.

The strike group includes the USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, along with multiple missile cruisers and missile destroyers. 

Earlier this week, Erdoğan reacted to the conflict in Israel and Gaza, calling for a “restraint from all parties.”

“They must refrain from aggressive acts,” he said, per The Jerusalem Post.

Pushing for negotiations, the Kremlin on Monday similarly warned of the “high risk” of a third party entering the conflict.

In addition to the aircraft’s movement, Austin said the Pentagon is taking steps to bolster the U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft squadrons in the region, with the U.S. maintaining other ready forces around the globe to reinforce those in the Eastern Mediterranean as needed. 

In a televised speech Tuesday, Presidnet Biden condemned the “abhorrent” terrorist attacks and vowed the U.S. will fully support the Israeli people.

The Biden administration said it also repositioned military assets in the region and began sending munitions and interceptors to supply Israel’s Iron Dome defense supply.