Turkey accused Israel on Tuesday of trying to occupy Lebanon with its ground offensive.
“The UN Security Council must uphold international law and take necessary measures against this attack aimed at occupying (sic) Lebanon,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement.
It said the offensive was “an illegal invasion attempt” that “targets the security and stability of the region and beyond” and is “likely to trigger a new wave of migration and clear ground for extremists around the world.”
Israeli ground forces entered southern Lebanon early Tuesday morning in the first ground offensive against the neighboring country since the 2006 war.
The offensive, called Northern Arrows, is aimed at the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.
According to Turkish state news agency Anadolu, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested that Israel would also set its sights on Turkey: “After Palestine and Lebanon, the Israeli leadership will focus on our country.”
He has provided no evidence of any such plans by the Israeli government.
