CAMERA’s Israel office prompted correction of an April 13 Agence France Presse headline which stated as fact an unverified Turkish claim that “Israel seeks to declare Turkey ‘new enemy.'” (The original headline is available here).
Turkish Prime Minister Hakan Fidan (right) speaks to the state-controlled Anadolu News Agency, April 13, 2026 (Screen capture from Middle East Eye)
AFP’s accompanying article did not support the headline’s unsubstantiated claim that Israel seeks to declare Turkey as a new enemy. Rather, the article makes clear that rather the Turkish FM alleges that Israel seeks to declare Turkey as a new enemy. The article rightly begins:
Israel “cannot live without an enemy” and its government is now trying to portray Turkey as one, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.
Further down, the article reiterates that the charge noted in the headline is the Turkish FM’s allegation:
“After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy,” Fidan said in a televised interview with the state-run Anadolu news agency.
“We see that not only Netanyahu’s administration but also some figures in the opposition — though not all — are seeking to declare Turkey the new enemy,” he said.
“This is a new development in Israel… turning into a state strategy,” he added.
Indeed, the French headline rightly attributes the allegation to Turkey, stating: “Israël veut faire de la Turquie son ‘nouvel ennemi’, accuse Ankara” (emphasis added).
Following CAMERA’s communication with AFP, editors quickly updated the story with the amended headline attributing the unverified accusation to Turkey. The improved headline states: “Ankara says Israel seeks to declare Turkey ‘new enemy.'”