(TJV) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday accused Israel of committing war crimes, threatening to declare war on the Jewish nation and deploy its military into Gaza.
Erdogan addressed hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestine supporters at a rally in Istanbul, delcaring Israel as a “war criminal” that may be met with military force if it continues its assault on Gaza.
Israel said it was recalling its diplomatic staff from Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan likened its military campaign in Gaza to the Holocaust.
“Given the grave statements coming from Turkey, I have ordered the return of diplomatic representatives there in order to conduct a re-evaluation of the relations between Israel and Turkey,” Eli Cohen, Israeli foreign minister, said.
“Israel, we will declare you as a war criminal to the world. We are making preparations for this right now.”
Israel says it’s recalling its diplomats and reevaluating relations with Turkey after comments by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a Palestine solidarity rally in… pic.twitter.com/W9wdfW0wXR
— 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) October 28, 2023
“The main culprit behind the massacre unfolding in Gaza is the West. Israel has been openly committing war crimes for 22 days, but the Western leaders cannot even call on Israel for a ceasefire, let alone react to it,” Erdogan told the crowd, who were waving Palestinian flags. “With this attitude, the West has accumulated a lot of sins.”
Erdogan also compared Israel to Nazis
“In the past they were massacring the Jewish people in the gas chambers and they were indeed wiping out whole regions with bombs. A similar mentality is being shown in Gaza today,” he said.
“We will tell the whole world that Israel is a war criminal. We are making preparations for this. We will declare Israel a war criminal.”
“From now on, we will continue on our path with the motto that we may suddenly knock on your door one night,” he added.
Erdogan also defended Hamas jihadists as “freedom fighters” and accused Israel of illegally occupying Palestinian land.
This is the point where I admit that my dream of a new dawn in Turkish-Israeli relations is fading.
“Israel, how did you end up here? How did you get here? You are an occupier. You are a group, not a state,” President Erdogan said at the rally in Istanbul
“The West owes you… pic.twitter.com/sYe66Ecw7b
— Mike (@Doranimated) October 28, 2023
