Turkish PM says Israel trying ‘genocide’

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Israel is attempting “genocide” in Gaza, AFP reports.

“This is not the first time we have been confronted by such situations,” Erdogan says at a meeting of Islamic scholars in Istanbul to mark the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

“Since (the creation of the state of Israel in) 1948 we have been witnessing this attempt at systematic genocide every day and every month,” he says. “But above all we are witnessing this attempt at systematic genocide every Ramadan.”

While he is at it Erdogan also slams the United Nations for not advancing world peace.

“What is the UN doing? Why has it been founded? For world peace? Does it contribute to the world peace? No. They are serving whatever their secret agenda is.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu adds his two cents by saying Israeli counterpart Avigdor Liberman is not to be taken seriously.

During an televised interview Davutoğlu rejects Liberman’s claim, reported by Haaretz, that Turkey and Qatar had worked to “sabotage” an Egyptian ceasefire proposal

“I have never taken the Israeli foreign minister [Liberman] seriously,” Davutoğlu says according to the Turkish Hurriyet daily. “How can I take seriously someone who talks about cleansing Palestinians from invaded areas?”