Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lashed out at the United Nations and Muslim countries for not taking action to stop a deadly Israeli aerial campaign targeting Gaza, which he said has amounted to “systematic genocide.”
During a speech in front of Muslim scholars attending a meeting in İstanbul, the prime minister accused the UN of “serving a secret cause” and lambasted the Muslim world for not working to stop the killings in Gaza because what happens there has nothing to do with the Sunni-Shiite conflict.
“Muslim world, where are you? Is your heart not aching over what is happening? We keep asking why the West is silent. Leave the West aside! Will others be concerned if your own family [of Muslim nations] does not care?” he asked at the meeting organized by Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate.
Erdoğan also claimed that there are Muslim countries that are “pleased” with what is happening regarding the Palestinian issue, without elaborating or naming any such country.
“Since what is unfolding in Palestine is not a sectarian conflict, since it is not a Sunni-Shiite clash, unfortunately, this means it does not get the attention of the Islamic world,” he said.
At least 224 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the course of Israeli air strikes targeting Gaza, which began 10 days ago.
“This is not the first time we are witnessing this. Since 1948, we have been witnessing systematic attempts at genocide [in Palestinian territories], especially during [the holy month of] Ramadan,” he said.
Erdoğan, who earlier blamed the UN for the Palestinian casualties, this time said the world body was doing nothing to achieve its stated goal of maintaining peace. He accused it of serving a “secret cause,” which he did not disclose.
“What was the UN established for? For world peace. Is this what it is doing? Is it making any contribution to world peace? What is it good for? It is only serving their secret cause,” he said, without explaining whom he was referring to.
He also said the UN is not “built to serve peace” because there is no Muslim country sitting in the 15-nation UN Security Council.
I was actually waiting for this to happen - For a somewhat brave and courageous leader to speak up and address this "lack of concern and action". If anyone knows what their responses were, if any, please share them. I have always loved Turkey and Turkish people.
The country pleased would by Egypt.
Very true point.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
To qualify this statement, I read this article about the shocking treatment of the Palestinian injured that have been allowed into Egypt.
EDIT - Fixed Link
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
please keep updated on anything related to this issue
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
Turkey's Prime Minister has lambasted Israel's ground invasion of Gaza and accused the Israeli government of "barbarism that surpasses Hitler".
Speaking at a political rally in the city of Ordu as part of his re-election campaign, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "(Israelis) have no conscience, no honour, no pride. Those who condemn Hitler day and night have surpassed Hitler in barbarism."
Erdogun ,who has been a vocal opponent of Israel’s operations in the Gaza Strip, has said that the Israel Defence Forces' actions have been "disproportionate" and would derail any efforts to try and foster better Turkish-Israeli relations.
The comments align with the general mood of anger in Turkey at Israel's continued offensive in Gaza, which has so far seen over 350 Palestinians killed.
He told supporters: "I don't approve of any (bad) attitude towards our Jewish citizens in Turkey, despite all this. Why? They are the citizens of this country."
Source
@You: I don't think the article you've mentioned is working. Can you share the link again please?
Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is returning an award he received in 2004 from the American Jewish Congress, which has accused him of "dangerous rhetoric" against Israel.
Last week the New York-based lobby group said Mr Erdogan was "inciting the Turkish population to violence against the Jewish people".
It asked him to hand back the award, granted for Middle East peace efforts.
Turkey's ambassador to the US said Mr Erdogan would be "glad" to do so.
Ambassador Serdar Kilic said Mr Erdogan should not be expected to turn a blind eye to Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
"Attempts to depict Prime Minister Erdogan's legitimate criticisms of the Israeli government's attacks on civilians as expressions of anti-Semitism is an obvious distortion and an effort to cover up the historical wrongdoings of the Israeli government," Mr Kilic said in a letter quoted by the Turkish news website Hurriyet.
Source
I'm glad he'd be glad to do such a thing. Humanity before power.
This is not anti-semitism. Is that the only excuse they can give for not wanting to support Israel's actions? Gosh.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey is prepared to receive all Palestinian casualties of the Gaza offensive, "irrespective of their numbers."
"We can accommodate all of them. We aren't worried about how many," he told an audience of women during a TV interview as part of his presidency campaign.
He pointed out that Turkey has embarked on efforts to bring the casualties into Ankara or Istanbul, and that he already discussed with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas the possibility of transporting the victims to Turkey via Egypt or Israel.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/europe/13349-erdogan-turkey-ready...
Is he the one with the new palace?
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
yup.
It's not "his" palace. its the presidential palace.
Its used for official business and apparently the older presidential residence was supposedly less appropriate for foreign dignitaries etc.
The problem with turkey is that often the news you get from there is biased from one side or there other. On the issue of the palace I have no idea who is right and even some formerly supportive parts of the Turkish media are uncomfortable with it.
[Moved Kobane stuff to blog post]
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.