UPDATE - Zionist lobby has influence on some of world’s leading universities: Türkiye’s president

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY PRESIDENT ERDOGAN, BACKGROUND

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said that the Zionist lobby has an influence on some of the world's leading universities.

“The Gaza genocide has shown that the Zionist lobby has also exerted control over the world's most prestigious universities,” Erdogan said at the Academic Year Opening Ceremony in Ankara.

He also accused Western countries of “failing” to prevent the Gaza genocide, saying they have lost their credibility for the sake of protecting Israel.

"We have witnessed such shameful events that students declaring 'there is genocide in Gaza' were subjected to police violence and dragged on the ground. Rectors who allowed demonstrations for Palestine were forced to resign, lynched, and interrogated in the US Congress.

“No criticism or expression of support for Palestine was tolerated. It has become undeniable that Zionist capital controls the world’s best universities under the guise of donation funds. In the Gaza genocide, Western governments have performed poorly, losing their reputations in their attempts to protect Israel,” he said.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

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.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement between Israel and Hamas have failed over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to halt the war.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.