Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Turkey does not attribute "the slightest importance" to what he called slander from a "criminal network" responsible for killing thousands in Gaza, after Israel formally recognized the Armenian Genocide. Erdogan denied any genocide or massacres in Turkish history, asserting a legacy of "justice and compassion."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday night rejected Israel's formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, calling the move "slander" from a "criminal network." In a statement published by the Turkish presidency, Erdogan charged that Israel's hands are "stained with the blood of 73,000 innocent people in Gaza, most of them women and children."
Erdogan — as The Zioneer reported at 19:43 — denied any instance of genocide, massacre, oppression, or colonialism in Turkish history, asserting instead a legacy of "justice and compassion" and of granting refuge to those fleeing the Inquisition and Nazi persecution. He did not address the historical record of the 1915 massacres of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, which numerous states and historians classify as genocide.
The exchange continues a sharp escalation in Israeli-Turkish diplomatic tensions since Israel's cabinet unanimously recognized the Armenian Genocide on Sunday. Earlier Tuesday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar characterized the recognition as grounded in historical truth rather than retaliation against Ankara, despite Erdogan's long-running hostile rhetoric toward Israel.
5 developments
- DevelopingErdogan calls Israel a 'murderous gang' over Armenian Genocide recognition
- StrongTurkey says Israel's Armenian Genocide recognition aimed to whitewash Gaza crimes
- StrongErdogan compares Netanyahu to Hitler, says the world repeats the same mistake of silence
- DevelopingErdogan: 'Israel is a factory of conflicts, will be held responsible sooner or later'
Source and signal
- Internal intake