Rejecting genocide in Gaza is not anti-Semitism: Turkish vice president

By Burcu Calik Gocumlu and Esra Tekin

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz slammed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar's recent remarks in a tweet shared on Monday.

His comments came in response to a post by Sa'ar about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"The discomfort and disrespect directed toward our President are rooted in their fear of the truth being spoken clearly," Yilmaz wrote on X.

He underlined that Türkiye's civilization has never been anti-Semitic, urging those seeking anti-Semitism to "look at European history."

“Rejecting the occupation, genocide, and ethnic cleansing policies of Netanyahu’s government is not anti-Semitism," Yilmaz said. "On the contrary, the true cause of the rising anti-Semitism worldwide is the inhumane aggression carried out by the Israeli government.”

He concluded by mentioning Türkiye's commitment to a two-state solution based on justice and human values.

Türkiye's Communications Director also criticized the recent comments of the Israeli Foreign Minister, saying: "They have no shame after committing unspeakable acts of terrorism and genocide against countless innocent civilians."

Fahrettin Altun urged Sa'ar to "better keep despicable 'hasbara' to himself," adding that Ankara does not feel fear and will never "shy away from standing up to liars like him."

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Sunday also slammed the social media post shared by the Israeli foreign minister, calling it "disrespectful and baseless allegations."