Netanyahu calls Erdogan 'antisemitic dictator' amid arrest warrant bid
Israel's PM office hit back after Turkey sought international warrant for alleged 'genocide'.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a media conference at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Photograph: CTV News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an "antisemitic dictator".
- The statement came after Turkey announced it had sought an international arrest warrant for Netanyahu, accusing him of "genocide".
- Netanyahu's office also stated Israel would "continue to act forcefully against Turkey’s attempts to destabilize the region".
- Syria had accused Israel of bombing an air base near Aleppo days before the exchange, a claim Turkey denied.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 8 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 3 of the 11 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
50/100
Craft
60/100
Hype
40/100
11 sources · methodology
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on 21 August 2026, labelling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an "antisemitic dictator". The statement followed Turkey's announcement that it had requested an international arrest warrant for Netanyahu, citing accusations of "genocide" related to Israel's actions concerning Gaza.
Netanyahu's office further stated that Israel would "continue to act forcefully against Turkey’s attempts to destabilize the region" and against any threats to its security. This exchange occurred days after Syria accused Israel of bombing an air base near Aleppo. Israel had tacitly acknowledged the strike, with Netanyahu's office suggesting Turkey was seeking to establish a military presence there. Turkey has denied having any military presence at the Aleppo base.
Disagreement on Aleppo air base
Syria accused Israel of striking a disused military air base near Aleppo on Tuesday, 19 August 2026. Israel stated a Turkish military delegation had recently visited the site. However, Turkey denied having any military presence at the base on Thursday, 21 August 2026, and affirmed its support for Syrian sovereignty.
What the coverage left out
None of the centre or right-rated reports mentioned Syria's accusation that Israel bombed an air base near Aleppo, nor did they include Turkey's denial of having a military presence at that base. The full reports from CTV News and CP24 did include these details.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 21 Aug 2026, 17:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated left has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Centre
4 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports from CTV News and CP24, which published full reports, led with Netanyahu calling Erdogan an "antisemitic dictator". These reports detailed the exchange, including Turkey's bid for an international arrest warrant and Netanyahu's office's vow to act against regional destabilisation. They also included Syria's accusation of an Israeli bombing of an air base near Aleppo and Turkey's denial of a military presence there. EFE's digest also focused on Netanyahu's response to the Turkish demand for his arrest, quoting the "antisemitic dictator" remark.
Right
4 rated outlets
- Right-rated reports from Libertad Digital, Mehr News Agency, and Le Figaro highlighted Netanyahu's response to Turkey's arrest request. Libertad Digital's digest stated Netanyahu called Erdogan an "anti-Semitic dictator" in response to Turkey's call for his arrest. Mehr News Agency's digest reported that the Israeli Prime Minister's Office described the Turkish President as a dictator and anti-Semite, claiming the regime would not tolerate threats to Israel's security. Le Figaro's digest noted the Israeli Prime Minister said he wanted to act against "Turkey's attempts to destabilize the region."
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Netanyahu calls Erdogan 'antisemitic dictator' amid arrest warrant bid?
- Of the 8 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 0% are rated left, 50% are rated centre, 50% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 11. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Netanyahu calls Erdogan 'antisemitic dictator' amid arrest warrant bid left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 8 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Netanyahu calls Erdogan 'antisemitic dictator' amid arrest warrant bid biased?
- Netanyahu calls Erdogan 'antisemitic dictator' amid arrest warrant bid is one event reported by 11 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Netanyahu calls Erdogan 'antisemitic dictator' amid arrest warrant bid?
- 11 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Why did Israel's Prime Minister call Turkey's President an 'antisemitic dictator'?
- Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an "antisemitic dictator" in response to Turkey seeking an international arrest warrant for Netanyahu, accusing him of "genocide".
- What was Turkey's response to Israel's Prime Minister?
- Turkey announced it had sought an international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of "genocide". In response, Netanyahu's office called Erdogan an "antisemitic dictator" and stated Israel would act against Turkey's attempts to destabilize the region.
- Did Israel and Turkey agree on the Aleppo air base incident?
- No, they disagreed. Syria accused Israel of bombing an air base near Aleppo. Israel's Prime Minister's office suggested Turkey was seeking a military presence there, but Turkey denied any military presence at the site.
Read it at the source
11 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Centre
4- Israel PM calls Turkiye’s Erdogan ‘antisemitic dictator’ (opens CP24 in a new tab)
- Israel PM calls Turkiye’s Erdogan ‘antisemitic dictator’ (opens CTV News in a new tab)
- Netanyahu Responds to the Turkish Demand for His Arrest: "Erdogan Is an Anti-Semitic Dictator" (opens EFE in a new tab)
- Netanyahu, 'Erdogan Anti-Semitic Dictator, We Will Not Be Intimidated' (opens ANSA in a new tab)
Right
4- Netanyahu Responds to Turkey's Arrest Request: "Erdogan Is an Anti-Semitic Dictator" (opens Libertad Digital in a new tab)
Libertad Digital — is Libertad Digital biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Netanyahu's Office: Erdogan Is an 'Anti-Semitic Dictator' (opens Mehr News Agency in a new tab)
Mehr News Agency — is Mehr News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu Calls President Erdogan "Anti-Semitic Dictator" (opens Le Figaro in a new tab)
- Israel PM Calls Turkey's Erdogan 'Antisemitic Dictator' (opens Al Arabiya in a new tab)
Al Arabiya — is Al Arabiya biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
3- Tough Words Are Intensifying Between Israel and Turkey (opens Dagens industri in a new tab)
Dagens industri — is Dagens industri biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Netanyahu on Erdogan: His Pathetic Attempt to Humiliate Israel Will Lead Nowhere (opens CNN Greece in a new tab)
CNN Greece — is CNN Greece biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan Is "an Anti-Semitic Dictator": Benjamin Netanyahu Criticises Turkey's President (opens RTL Info in a new tab)
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
More in Politics
All Politics →Elsewhere on the site
Conflict & Security•5 min readIsrael struck Syrian airbase after Mossad chief warned Damascus over Turkey
Conflict & Security•3 min readPoland summons Israeli envoy after Gaza airstrike probe ends
Conflict & Security•4 min readIsrael rules out criminal charges over 2024 Gaza airstrike that killed seven aid workers

