Erdogan Calls for Inspection of Nuclear Weapons in Israel

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Ankara will initiate an inspection mechanism to verify whether Israel possesses nuclear weapons. This was reported by РИА Новости, adding that the Turkish leader stated this must be done "before it is too late."

“To date, more than a thousand lawyers have appealed to the International Criminal Court, requesting an investigation into the war crimes (of Israel), and these complaints continue. This is part of our work. On the other hand, Israel is not a party to the non-proliferation treaty. And since that is the case, it is primarily not subject to its rules. However, there is a situation where member states can apply to the International Atomic Energy Agency in the name of nuclear security and request the establishment of an inspection mechanism. We are mobilizing this work right now,” the Turkish leader told reporters on his plane after returning from Berlin.

He emphasized that the presence of nuclear weapons in Israel must be checked “without any doubt.”

“This process will take some time. The Council's decision must be submitted to the UN Security Council, the highest governing body for nuclear energy. It is possible that the United States will stand by Israel and veto this. This is the first time that an official statement is registered regarding Israel in this manner, and advancing this issue is very important from the perspective of balancing strategic interests in the region. We will continue to apply pressure,” said the Turkish president.