Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls on his NATO ally the United States to engage in “self-criticism” after it labeled his comments on Israel’s Gaza campaign “offensive.”
“If America still says ‘Israel is using its right to self-defense’ it is America that needs to engage in self-criticism,” Erdogan tells the TGRT news channel.
A staunch advocate of the Palestinian cause, Erdogan has stepped up his criticism of Israel’s operation in the Gaza Strip, accusing the Jewish state of carrying out “state terrorism” and a “genocide” of Palestinians.
On Friday, US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki branded Erdogan’s comments “offensive and wrong.”
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses supporters in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 29, 2014. (photo credit: AP)
“When there are concerns we have about comments made or actions taken, even when it is a NATO ally, we certainly don’t hesitate to make those concerns known,” she said.
Erdogan says he was sticking to his comments, accusing Israel of using “disproportionate force” and killing Palestinians “mercilessly.”
“How can we ignore this? How can a country like the United States turn a blind eye to this?” he asks. “As a member of the UN Security Council, it needs to act fairly.”
— AFP
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