Global Courant
The Turkish leader said Palestinians in Gaza were suffering “collective punishment” and defended Hamas as “liberators.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called off a planned visit to Israel over the “inhumane” war in Gaza, saying relations between the two states would not improve.
“We had a project to go to Israel, but it was canceled; We are not going,” Erdogan told ruling party lawmakers in parliament on Wednesday, as he denounced Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza and defended Hamas.
The Turkish leader’s caustic comments signal a deterioration in ties between Ankara and Israel, which have had a rocky, back-and-forth relationship for years.
Once close regional allies, Turkey froze ties with Israel in 2010 after Israeli forces attacked a Turkish ship bound for Gaza with aid, killing 10 civilians.
While the two states restored ties in 2016, Turkey fired Israeli envoys again in 2018 over Israel’s deadly crackdown on peaceful Palestinian protesters on the Gaza border.
Relationships ‘could have been different’
Erdogan’s tirade appeared aimed at putting relations back in a deep freeze after recent signs that ties were rebuilding.
Erdogan had a personal meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu For the first time last month at a UN summit in New York. There, the two leaders opened the door to possible cooperation in areas such as energy, technology and cybersecurity.
But now that Israeli bombs are raining on Gaza for a third week, killing more than 6,500 people and destroying much of the territory’s infrastructure, the Turkish leader is once again pulling few punches.
“Of course we had good intentions, but (Netanyahu) abused them,” Erdogan said. “If he had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but unfortunately this will not happen now.”
Erdogan, who did that led Turkey has been an outspoken advocate of the Palestinian cause for twenty years. He has strongly criticized Israel since the deadly explosion at a hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip on October 17.
“The international community is not rising to the challenge in the face of the Israeli regime’s unlawful and unbridled attacks on civilians,” Erdogan said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the people of Gaza are suffering “collective punishment.”
In his speech to parliament on Wednesday, the Turkish president also praised Hamas as “liberators” who are fighting to “protect their country and people.”
Hamas fighters broke out of the besieged Gaza Strip on October 7 and attacked Israelis, including many civilians, killing at least 1,400 people and taking more than 220 prisoners, Israeli officials said.
Erdogan does expected to be present a massive pro-Palestinian rally Saturday in Istanbul, organized by the ruling Justice and Development Party.
