Original article (in Albanian) was published on 15/04/2026; Author: Patris Pustina
A video of Turkish President Erdoğan is being circulated on social media and Albanian-language outlets in April 2026, with claims that he warned Turkey would go to war against Israel if US–Iran talks collapse. One of these posts, which adds to the sense of alarm, has been viewed more than 400,000 times.
Using Google Lens visual search, Faktoje identified that the clip originates from Erdoğan’s speech at the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) held on April 10, 2026, in Istanbul.
The circulating segment begins at minute 7:10 of the full speech, where Erdoğan addresses alleged violations of the ceasefire by Israel in Lebanon:
“On the day, the ceasefire was declared, Israel brutally killed 254 Lebanese people. This genocidal network, blinded by blood and hatred, continued to kill children, women, and innocent civilians, ignoring all human values and disregarding all rules and principles.”
In the full context of the speech, Erdoğan does not mention US–Iran talks nor does he make any statement about Turkey entering a war against Israel.
Turkish media reported on Erdoğan’s speech, but none referenced any threat against Israel.
The Turkish government also released a statement on April 12 clarifying that Erdoğan did not make any remarks about an invasion or attack on Israel.
The US–Iran negotiations, aimed at finding a lasting solution to the conflict between the two countries, concluded without any agreement in Islamabad on April 12. The negotiations lasted 21 hours but did not produce any result.
A few days earlier, on April 12, the British newspaper Daily Telegraph was forced to issue an apology and delete another article that falsely attributed inflammatory war-related statements against Israel to Erdoğan. The article had quoted the Turkish president as saying: “Just as we entered Libya and Karabakh, we can enter Israel,” remarks that actually originated from a 2024 speech. The paper’s editor-in-chief acknowledged that the quotations were either “outdated or entirely fabricated.”
