Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday evening issued a new response to Israel's formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, accusing Israel of complicity in the deaths of 73,000 Gazans. Denying any genocide in Turkish history, he dismissed the Israeli move as slander from a 'murder network' he does not take seriously.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan escalated his verbal assault on Tuesday evening, citing a figure of 73,000 Gazans killed — accusing Israel of having 'hands stained with their blood.' This marks his latest response to Israel's formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, coming after a series of statements since the first response at 19:42 Jerusalem, in which he initially called Israel a 'murderous crime network' and denied any genocide in Turkish history. By the time of his 19:42 address, Erdogan had already issued multiple denials and accusations, with the 73,000 figure appearing in both his first and latest statements.
Our reporting timeline shows the escalation: at 19:42 Jerusalem, Erdogan first dismissed the recognition as 'slander from a murderous crime network' (version 1). Within minutes, he issued further statements at 19:42—versions 2 through 7—denying genocide, citing Turkey's history of granting asylum, and ultimately accusing Israel of complicity in Gaza deaths. By 20:50 Jerusalem, The Zioneer published a bulletin summarizing the exchange, noting the repeated reference to 73,000 Gazans. The figure was initially presented in his first reaction as 'blood of 73,000 innocent people in Gaza—most of them women and children'; by the evening statement, it was framed as a direct accusation against Israel.
As The Zioneer reported over the preceding days, the diplomatic rift has been widening. On Sunday Jun 28, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the recognition was 'not retaliation, but truth.' Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Monday Jun 29 called the move an attempt to 'whitewash Gaza crimes.' Erdogan had separately labeled Zionism an 'existential threat' on Saturday Jun 27, and warned against any challenge to Turkish interests in the eastern Mediterranean as early as Wednesday Jun 10.
It remains unclear whether Erdogan's repeated citation of the 73,000 figure is drawn from a specific source or reflects a consistent talking point. No independent verification of that casualty count has been provided by Ankara, and the number has not been corroborated by other parties in the thread.
5 developments
- DevelopingErdogan calls Israel a 'murderous gang' over Armenian Genocide recognition
- StrongTurkey says Israel's Armenian Genocide recognition aimed to whitewash Gaza crimes
- DevelopingFM Sa'ar: Armenian Genocide recognition not retaliation, but truth
- DevelopingArmenia's president cool to Israel's recognition of Armenian genocide
Source and signal
- Internal intake