Turkish president says Israel is committing ‘complete genocide’ in Gaza, blames Netanyahu
WASHINGTON
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said Israel is committing a “complete genocide” in Gaza and directly blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the killings.
“I don’t think we can explain it in any other way. This is completely a genocide. And this genocide is caused by Netanyahu. Netanyahu, mercilessly, has unfortunately killed tens of thousands with this genocide,” Erdogan told Fox News on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
He added that over 120,000 people have been wounded in Gaza and that Türkiye has taken many of the injured into the country for treatment.
“We are in complete opposition to this genocide,” he said.
Asked about Palestinian resistance group Hamas and the hostages it has, Erdogan rejected claims that the blame rests solely with Hamas.
“This is not a crime that is one sided. I think that would be wrong to accuse just Hamas about this. At the same time, how can we put aside what Netanyahu has done?” he said.
He accused Israel of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, adding: “When it comes to weapons, it (Hamas) can’t even be compared with Israel, and Israel is using this power without mercy, from age seven to 70, children, women, the elderly. They have no mercy. And these people are being killed.”
On prospects for ending the conflict, Erdoğan was skeptical, comparing it to the unresolved Russia-Ukraine war: “You might remember (US President Donald Trump) said: ‘I will finish the Russia-Ukraine war.’ Did it end? It still goes on. Similarly, he said: ‘I will finish the war in Gaza.’ Did he? No.”
Asked if he sees Hamas as a terrorist group, he rejected the idea: “I don’t see Hamas as a terrorist organization. On the contrary, I see it as a resistance group … They are using what they have to try to defend themselves.”
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