Turkiye condemns Israel FM’s calling Erdogan ‘a war criminal’

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry yesterday condemned a recent social media post by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz which targeted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling it an attempt to cover up Tel Aviv’s crimes, Anadolu reported.

“We consider the disrespectful post by the Israeli Foreign Minister targeting our esteemed President as a tone that can only be adopted by an official of a state accused of genocide,” a ministry statement said.

It emphasised that such accusations are part of Israel’s efforts to obscure its own criminal actions.

In a tweet, Katz wrote: “.@RTErdogan announced his support for Hezbollah against Israel’s threats. Erdogan is a war criminal who slaughters innocent Kurds across the Syrian border and tries to deny Israel its right to self-defense against a terror organization attacking from Lebanon under Iran’s orders.”

.@RTErdogan announced his support for Hezbollah against Israel's threats. Erdogan is a war criminal who slaughters innocent Kurds across the Syrian border and tries to deny Israel its right to self-defense against a terror organization attacking from Lebanon under Iran's orders.…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) June 26, 2024

Slamming the social media post, the ministry said: “Such slander and lies are part of Israel’s efforts to cover up the crimes it has committed.”

Turkiye will continue to fight for peace and justice, it added.

For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, said yesterday that “Israel is committing massacres in the Gaza Strip and displacing millions of its residents before the eyes of the whole world under the pretext of ensuring its security,” adding that progress cannot be achieved through an approach that does not care about the Palestinians’ security.

He also warned that the Israeli massacres in Gaza constitute a serious threat to global security, and have the potential to ignite a regional war at any time.

READ: UK newspaper claims Hezbollah arms kept at Beirut Airport

Earlier, Erdogan accused Western countries of “supporting” a possible Israeli attack on Lebanon, adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to expand the war to the region will lead to a major disaster.

“It is extremely dangerous and unfortunate that countries that talk about freedom, human rights, and justice are held hostage by a mentally ill person like Netanyahu,” Erdogan said, calling on other countries in the region to show solidarity with Lebanon.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since October 2023.

More than 37,700 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and nearly 86,400 others have been injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on 6 May.