Silence in the Face of Open Hostility

A Failure of Diplomatic Duty in New York By Turkish Consul General Ahmet Yazal.

 / Israel’s Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis. 

Once again, we witness a troubling and unacceptable silence from the Turkish Consul General in New York, Mr. Ahmet Yazal this time in the face of an extraordinary and hostile declaration made publicly by Israel’s Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis. Speaking live on a Tel Aviv nbased news channel, Mr. Akunis did not engage in routine diplomatic criticism or policy disagreement. He crossed a far more serious line by explicitly labeling the Republic of Türkiye  our  NATO ally and sovereign state as an “enemy,” declaring: “There is a growing Turkish threat in our region. To be frank, Ankara is our enemy. We must do everything in our power to prevent this enemy from harming us.”

This was not rhetoric spoken in a moment of emotional excess. It was a calculated, on the record statement by a sitting foreign diplomat, made while holding an official post in New York. Such language is unprecedented, inflammatory, and deeply destabilizing particularly when directed at a NATO ally from the diplomatic capital of the world. Yet, once again, the Turkish Consulate in New York remained conspicuously silent.

Silence in diplomacy is not neutrality. Silence in the face of open hostility is abdication.

The role of a Consul General especially in a city as influential as New York is not ceremonial, nor is it limited to photo opportunities, receptions, and social appearances. It is a position of strategic responsibility. The Consul General is entrusted with defending the honor, sovereignty, and national interests of the Republic of Türkiye; countering smear campaigns; responding decisively to hostile narratives; and ensuring that Türkiye’s voice is heard clearly, firmly, and with dignity in international forums. Once again Mr Yazal , is Not heard from again.

When a foreign diplomat openly threatens and labels Türkiye an “enemy” from New York, the absence of an immediate, firm, and public response is not merely disappointing it is damaging. It sends the wrong signal to allies, adversaries, and the Turkish American community alike. My Yazal once again has failed the Turkish Americans. It normalizes hostile rhetoric. It emboldens those who seek to portray Türkiye as a pariah rather than a key regional power and indispensable Western ally.

Mr. Yazal’s continued silence follows a pattern, not an exception. Time and again, when Türkiye is targeted by coordinated disinformation campaigns, historical distortions, or outright diplomatic provocations, the Consulate General in New York appears absent from the battlefield where narratives are shaped and reputations are defended. Diplomacy is not passive observation; it is active engagement. Failing to respond is, in effect, allowing others to define Türkiye without challenge.

Let me be clear,  defending Türkiye does not require aggression, nor does it mean abandoning diplomatic decorum. But it does require resolve, clarity, and courage- we have once again seen a weak Mr. Yazal. A firm rebuttal, a formal protest, an official statement reaffirming Türkiye’s position and rejecting hostile language these are basic expectations, not extraordinary demands.

Our NATO ally  the Republic of Türkiye is not a country that needs others to speak on its behalf. It is a strong, sovereign state with a deep diplomatic tradition and a proud history of standing its ground. When its senior representatives abroad fail to uphold that tradition, it raises serious questions about competence, judgment, and suitability for such a critical post.

New York is not an ordinary assignment. It is one of the most important diplomatic theaters in the world. Representing Türkiye there requires intellectual rigor, strategic awareness, and the willingness to confront hostile narratives head on especially when they emanate from within the diplomatic corps itself.

At this critical moment, silence is not prudence. Silence is weakness.

And weakness has no place in the representation of the Republic of Türkiye.

Ibrahim Kurtulus

Community Activist