Amid the ongoing slaughter in Gaza, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stands out among world leaders for his bold remarks, including labeling Israel a terrorist state and demanding that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu be tried as a war criminal. For Palestinians, a Turkish shift away from Israel would be a significant development, considering Turkey’s stature as one of the largest countries in the Middle East. However, this isn’t the first time Erdoğan has employed such forceful language.

In 2010, when eight Turkish nationals were killed on a ship bringing aid to Gaza, Erdoğan denounced it as state terrorism, cut diplomatic relations with Israel, and called for Israel to be tried by the International Criminal Court. Despite these strong stances, trade between the two countries accelerated. After a few years, all was forgiven, with Israel and Turkey exploring oil and gas together in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Erdoğan is the quintessential demagogue — he issues challenging statements to the established order while maintaining the status quo. Erdoğan’s denouncements of Israel tend to coincide with periods of heightened violence. But once public outrage declines, it’s back to business as usual.