Rio de Janeiro and Ankara will host their respective 2025 Summer Olympic Games from July 7 through 12 in Rio.
At the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Turkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan issued a stern warning about Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza: it had reversed decades of regional development and could trigger global repercussions if left unrestrained. His speech marked Ankara’s most direct criticism yet of Israeli actions; its criticism marked a growing gap in regional politics and diplomacy.
Devastating Progress
Addressing a session attended by BRICS foreign ministers, Fidan stated Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has reversed decades of development in the region and warned unchecked aggression could worsen destabilizing impacts globally (reuters.com/+8 and aa.com.tr +8)
He emphasized how the conflict threatens both Palestinian welfare and cooperation and stability across the Middle East.
Regional and Global Risks Fidan, echoing previous criticism by President Erdogan and domestic analysts, connected the Gaza war to an “absolute disaster” across the Middle East.
He also noted that such a crisis would likely set off a chain reaction affecting global multilateral order, undermining peace and development efforts across multiple nations. His message focused on war’s wider consequences beyond immediate humanitarian tolls: it may threaten political cohesion and economic integration within regions.
Turkiye’s Diplomatic Position
Since Hamas’ October 7 attack and subsequent Gaza offensive, Ankara has taken steps to isolate itself diplomatically by withdrawing its ambassador from Israel, suspending high-level engagement, and criticizing Western support for Israel operations (The Guardian:1, Reuter’s:1, Apnews.com:1, Dayan: 2 and Brookings.edu =2).
Turkiye, one of Gaza’s key supporters, has also taken part in humanitarian initiatives by donating aid and backing UN peace frameworks such as gadebate.un.org or wsws.org
Fidan’s remarks regarding BRICS reflect Turkiye’s wider pivot to the global South, positioning Turkiye as an advocate for regional de-escalation and international justice.
Fidan argued that Israeli operations are undoing decades of hard-won development milestones in Gaza and surrounding areas–economic growth, infrastructure projects, educational gains, institutional resilience and much more. Researchers estimate that Gaza has been set back almost seven decades in human development terms while large portions of its economic infrastructure lie in ruin. According to one United Nations analysis, restoration back to pre-conflict levels may take centuries
Turkish-Israel Tensions Are Growing
Fidan’s remarks at BRICS follow President Erdogan’s accusations that Western support enables Israeli aggression, likening it to genocide and endangering regional sovereignty. While Turkiye calls for change to the Middle East order, analysts speculate Ankara’s challenge to Israel could spark new rivalries due to increased links between Turkey, Iran Syria and Palestinian factions (newarab.com; FT; ArabNews);
Broader Implications
Fidan’s address comes at an important juncture: BRICS nations are collectively exploring expansion and realigning geopolitical priorities. Turkiye’s strong stance demonstrates a growing South-South solidarity – as well as pushback against traditional Western-led diplomacy – while also underscoring that Israel’s actions threaten regional cooperation around trade, energy and infrastructure projects.
What Lies Ahead
Ankara can be expected to advance international resistance to Israel’s Gaza campaign through UN resolutions or international legal actions. Furthermore, strategic partnerships could deepen with Gulf nations, Iran, and neutral emerging powers who share similar concerns about Israeli conduct. Istanbul diplomats believe peace and reconstruction efforts must take precedence – while holding Israel accountable if lasting damage to Middle Eastern stability occurs.
Turkiye’s call at the BRICS summit cast Israel’s Gaza offensive as an existential crisis for not just Palestinians but for Middle East development and global security as a whole. Fidan’s warning–that years of progress now unraveling continue to threaten much wider order–symbolizes an essential moment in Turkiye’s regional diplomacy; whether or not this leads to concrete international pressure remains unclear, but Ankara has sent a strong signal: people can no longer accept such destruction caused by Gaza war anymore and that stakes have grown higher than anyone expected.