ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel yesterday of having “surpassed Hitler in barbarism” through its attacks on Gaza, but warned Turks against taking out their anger on the country’s Jewish community.
Erdogan continued to ratchet up his rhetoric against the Jewish State over its offensive, threatening to further harm to already badly frayed relations between the two countries, once regional allies.
Hours earlier Israel advised its citizens against travelling to Turkey, citing “the public mood” after attacks on Israeli diplomatic missions during protests in Istanbul and Ankara against the Gaza offensive on Friday.
“(Israelis) have no conscience, no honour, no pride. Those who condemn Hitler day and night have surpassed Hitler in barbarism,” Erdogan told supporters at a political rally in the Black Sea city of Ordu.
He accused the United States of defending Israel’s “disproportionate” tactics, and bemoaned the failure of the Muslim world to take a stronger stance.
But Erdogan did warn his supporters against taking their anger out on the country’s Jewish population.
“I don’t approve of any (bad) attitude towards our Jewish citizens in Turkey, despite all this. Why? They are the citizens of this country,” he said. Around 17,000 Jews live in Turkey.
Protesters have taken to the streets of the Nato member’s two biggest cities for the last two nights, and were due to return later yesterday.
Local media reported an explosion of pro-Hitler tweets and some liberal Turks reacted with outrage on Twitter when a pro-government newspaper printed a Hitler-themed crossword.
On Friday, US representative Eliot Engel urged Erdogan to act after the same newspaper published an open letter calling on Turkish Jews to apologise for civilian casualties in Gaza.
“The disgusting letter published by the Turkish newspaper Yeni Akit has no place in any society and only serves to put innocent lives in danger,” Engel, the leading Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said in a statement.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said early yesterday Israelis should “avoid non-essential visits” to Turkey or be especially vigilant and steer clear of anti-Israel demonstrations.
The travel advisory could affect commercial air connections between Tel Aviv and Istanbul, expanded in recent years as the two countries sought to rebuild relations.
Israel said on Friday it would pare back already an reduced staff at its embassy in Ankara and consulate in Istanbul, scenes of furious street protests at Israel’s escalation of its Gaza offensive into a ground invasion.
It accused Turkish police of not doing enough to protect its diplomats and Islamist-rooted Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan of incitement after he accused Israel of terrorising the region.
REUTERS
