UPDATE - Turkish officials slam Israeli PM over Erdogan tweet

UPDATES WITH REMARKS OF TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER; CHANGES DECK, LEAD

By Meryem Goktas

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish officials on Sunday criticized the Israeli premier over his tweet on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On his official Twitter account the Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu wrote: "The occupier which kicks people lying on the ground is easily offended: @netanyahu is a cold-blooded killer of modern times, responsible for massacres of thousands of innocent Palestinians, bombing children on beaches."

"Turkey will never stop exposing the truth," he added.

On Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu in a tweet attacked the Turkish president over Ankara's counter-terror operation and Cyprus issues.

"Accused of fraud in investigations carried out in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to manipulate the international community," Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesman Omer Celik said in a tweet.

Celik said that Netanyahu is "disturbed" by Erdogan's remarks in favor of humanity and oppressed people.

The spokesman emphasized that Turkey will continue to speak up against Israel’s unjust actions against the oppressed Palestinians and its practises that violate international law.

"It means that Netanyahu is disturbed by the operations carried out by the Turkish army and security forces against PKK targets, which carry out terrorist acts against our civilians and the oppressed Syrian, regardless of women and children," Celik said.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people.

Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin also responded to the Israeli premier's accusations.

"Instead of begging President Erdogan not to speak out the truth, @netanyahu should end the lawless occupation of Palestinian lands and the brutal oppression of Palestinian people.

"Bashing Erdogan or using Kurds as a political chip will not save him from his domestic troubles," Kalin wrote in a tweet.