A Diplomatic Trojan Horse: The Turkish Consulate in the Heart of Jerusalem

By Ben Avrahami

Jerusalem has long been a magnet for foreign entities seeking to erode Israeli sovereignty, but Turkey’s recent conduct has shattered every established norm of diplomacy. While Israel navigates complex security challenges, a foreign mission is operating in the Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood with the explicit goal of undermining its host nation. The Turkish Consulate General does not function as a standard diplomatic outpost to Israel; instead, it serves as a de facto embassy to the Palestinian Authority—a calculated political maneuver designed to challenge the Jerusalem Law and project Ankara's defiance.

The audacity of this mission extends far beyond mere titles or presenting credentials to Mahmoud Abbas. This consulate goes as far as defining its jurisdiction based on the 1947 UN Partition Plan (the Corpus Separatum). By doing so, it effectively refuses to recognize any Israeli authority established since 1948, including undisputed areas like Motza and Mevaseret Zion. In a single stroke of a pen, Ankara attempts to erase seven decades of history, treating the Israeli capital as if it were still a contested international zone.

Rather than fostering bilateral ties, the consulate’s official platforms have become a megaphone for hostile propaganda. Its social media presence is a pipeline for incitement, frequently sharing content that denies Israel’s right to exist or displays maps draped entirely in Palestinian colors. It serves as a echo chamber for President Erdogan’s rhetoric, which includes comparing Israel to Nazi Germany and levelling baseless accusations of genocide.

The height of this diplomatic insolence was reached when the mission published a eulogy for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, hailing him as a "symbol of resistance." A sovereign nation cannot remain indifferent while a foreign entity exploits diplomatic immunity to broadcast the destruction of its host from within its own borders.