False claim Turkey has joined Israel-Hamas conflict
The claim: Turkey sends military support to Palestinians amid 2023 Israel-Hamas war
A Nov. 10 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows a line of armored military vehicles draped with Turkish flags driving on a city street as onlookers wave Turkish flags.
“Oh, my God,” the video’s caption reads. “Türkiye is now sending support to (Palestine).”
The Instagram video received more than 90 likes in five days. A nearly identical version of the video posted on TikTok on Oct. 30 was shared more than 17,000 times in two weeks.
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Our rating: False
The video is from a parade that marked the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic. While Turkey’s president has been critical of Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, there are no reputable news reports indicating Turkey’s military has entered the war.
Video shows 2023 anniversary parade of Turkish Republic
The Instagram video shows a procession of armored vehicles that took part in the Oct. 29 celebrations in Turkey, not Turkey sending military support to Palestinians.
A Getty Images photo shows the same type of armored vehicles participating in anniversary celebrations in Istanbul. Decorations on the trucks in the video and the designs of the red and white banners hanging above the street – including a 100th-anniversary logo – match images from Getty and the Associated Press.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sharply criticized Israel in its war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and Turkey has offered humanitarian aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid the conflict, according to a Nov. 15 Reuters report. But there are no credible news reports that the Turkish military has joined the war.
The Instagram video also uses two clips that are unrelated to the anniversary celebration. The first clip shows several men scurrying out of a barber shop and has been used in social media videos since at least June. The second clip shows military vehicles traveling along a dirt road; it comes from the stock image website iStock and was uploaded in 2016.
Neither the Istanbul governor’s office nor the Turkish Land Forces branch of the country’s armed forces responded to a request for comment.
The Instagram user who shared the video and the TikTok user who shared a similar video also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
AFP also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- Getty Images, Oct. 29, October 29 celebration in Istanbul
- Associated Press, Oct. 29, Turkey celebrates 100th anniversary of republic with fireworks and navy procession
- Reuters, Nov. 15, Turkey’s Erdogan labels Israel a ‘terror state’, slams its backers in West
- iStock, Oct. 18, 2016, Self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles on dirt road stock video
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