'Israel' recalls diplomats amid Erdogan 'war crimes' critique
3 Min Read
The Turkish President announces a rally in support of Palestine at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul to "step up the calls and declare" that his country is "against Israeli oppression."
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaks to attendees during a rally to show their solidarity with Palestinians, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (AP)
"Israel" announced on Saturday that it was withdrawing its diplomats from Turkey to conduct a review of their relations. This decision comes as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to strongly criticize "Israel" for its war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
“In light of the escalating rhetoric from Turkey, I have instructed the return of diplomatic representatives from Turkey in order to reassess Israel-Turkey relations,” Israeli occupation's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said in a statement.
Cohen's remarks came shortly after the Turkish President addressed a large pro-Palestinian gathering in Istanbul on Saturday, stating that his country was taking steps to designate "Israel" as a war criminal due to its atrocities in Gaza.
#Watch | Pro-#Palestine protesters held massive rallies in #Turkey against "Israel's" crimes in the #Gaza Strip.#GazaUnderAttack
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 28, 2023
📹: Yunus Emre Kisik pic.twitter.com/U7EICrNEBF
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also took to social media platform X on Saturday to demand that "Israel" snap out of it immediately and get out of "the state of insanity" by ceasing its attacks on Gaza.
"The continuing Israeli bombings of Gaza, which intensified last night, have once again targeted women, children, and innocent civilians, aggravating the humanitarian crisis. Israel must immediately come out of this state of insanity and stop its attacks," Erdogan said on X.
He continued to announce a rally in support of Palestine at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul to "step up the calls and declare" that his country is "against Israeli oppression."
Then, in a speech at a pro-Palestine rally in Istanbul on Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Western countries' approaches regarding Palestine.
Western countries are the most important responsible for the current events in Gaza, he said, adding that they fully support the child killers in Gaza.
“Israel, we will proclaim you as a war criminal to the world,” Erdogan said. “We are making our preparations, and we will declare Israel to the world as a war criminal.”
Those who shed crocodile tears for Ukraine; now they are silent about the developments in Gaza, he added.
Those who were worried about Ukraine support "Israel" today, he said, adding that they are complicit in the spilled blood.
"Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a liberation group, 'mujahideen' waging a battle to protect its lands and people," Erdogan emphasized earlier, as he expressed strong criticism of Western powers for their endorsement of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, labeling their sympathies as "Western tears shed for Israel are a manifestation of fraud."
This coincides with the unprecedented Israeli bombing of the Strip and deliberate strikes that cut off communication networks in Gaza, while occupation forces are attempting to launch limited ground incursions into the Strip and failing repeatedly.
