Israel is a "threat" to its region because it possesses nuclear weapons, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
"I right now see Israel as a threat to its region, because it has the atomic bomb," Erdogan was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency, during an official visit to South Africa.
He also accused Israel of committing "state terrorism."
Erdogan in the past has accused the West of "double standards" in the way that it has tried to ban Iran from building nuclear weapons without taking similar measures against Israel.
Israel has never officially admitting to possessing nuclear weapons.
Turkey downgraded relations with one-time ally Israel after the latter refused to apologise for its raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish aid flotilla, in which nine Turkish activists died on 31 May, 2010.
Last month, Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador and froze military ties and defence trade deals. Ankara has also threatened to send warships to escort any Turkish vessels trying to reach Hamas-ruled Gaza.
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