Ankara condemns Israel’s response to Turkish president’s meeting with ICC prosecutor

By Seda Sevencan

Ankara (AA) - Türkiye on Tuesday condemned Israel's criticism of the Turkish president’s meeting with the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor.

In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the Israeli statement is “an effort by Israel to cover up the genocide it is committing.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday received ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The statement also hit back at Israel’s accusations against Erdogan, saying they show a “guilty conscience.”

Ankara also once again vowed to hold Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government accountable for their crimes.

“Türkiye will continue to stand by the innocent Palestinian people and all its friends and brothers in the region during this process,” it said.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu slammed Khan for meeting with Erdogan as well as with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

In May, Khan requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.

Since then, Khan has twice requested, most recently in August, for the court to expedite the issuance of the warrants.

Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Over 41,400 people, most of them women and children, have since been killed and more than 95,500 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel also faces accusations of genocide at the UN’s International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza. The independent ICC and the International Court of Justice are separate institutions.