By Merve Berker
Türkiye rejected the slander and baseless allegations by some Israeli officials against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
“The efforts of some Israeli officials, who cannot tolerate even the expression of the truth and facts, to change the agenda accompanied by distortions and slanders in the hope of covering up the brutal massacre targeting Palestinian civilians in Gaza, will not yield results,” the ministry stressed in a statement.
“The targeting of the UN, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by these authorities, who have committed a crime against humanity in front of the whole world but cannot even tolerate criticism and condemnation, is a clear indication of the weakness they have fallen into,” it said.
“We are returning the accusation of antisemitism, slander and insults” Erdogan and Türkiye itself “to the interlocutors in the same way,” it said. “Unlike many countries that support Israel unconditionally today, it is known to everyone that Türkiye's record on this issue is spotless and immaculate.
“It is a truth that all historians have delivered that Türkiye has been a safe haven for everyone who has been persecuted throughout history, including Jews,” it noted.
The ministry demanded that Israeli authorities “urgently heed the calls for a ceasefire and peace made to them to put an end to this barbarism aimed at the total destruction of the residents of Gaza.”
Gaza has been under relentless Israeli airstrikes since a surprise offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7.
The Palestinian group had initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood -- a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air.
Israel responded with an uninterrupted campaign of air raids, which intensified late Friday, along with ground activities amid a complete blackout of telecommunications and internet networks.
At least 7,703 Palestinians, including 3,595 children, have been killed in the Israeli attacks, while the death toll in Israel stands at more than 1,400.
Gaza's 2.3 million residents are also grappling with shortages of food, water and medicine due to Israel’s blockade of the enclave. Only a few aid trucks have crossed into Gaza since the opening of the Rafah crossing point last weekend.