Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is no different than” Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed in a Wednesday speech.
Erdogan said that Netanyahu was no different from Hitler and likened Israel’s attacks on Gaza to the treatment of Jewish people by the Nazis.
Speaking at an event in Ankara, Erdogan also repeated his criticism of Western support for Israel, adding that Turkey was ready to welcome academics and scientists who faced persecution due to their views on the conflict in Gaza.
‘The butcher of Gaza’
Earlier in December, the Turkish president said that Netanyahu would be tried as a war criminal over Israel’s ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, referring to the Likud party leader as the “butcher of Gaza.”
In a speech at a meeting of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) committee in Istanbul, Erdogan said that Gaza is Palestinian land and will always belong to the Palestinians.
“Israel is not only a murderer but also a thief,” Erdogan said, according to Turkish state media, adding, “We cannot let Israel occupy Gaza once again.”
Erdogan charged that “those who invade Gaza will seek other places tomorrow. Gaza butcher Netanyahu revealed he has expansionist ideals.”
Netanyahu: Erdogan is carrying out genocide on Kurds
Netanyahu responded to Erdogan’s statement later on Wednesday, saying that “Erdogan, who is carrying out a genocide of Kurds and holds a world record in imprisoning journalists who oppose him, is the last person who can preach morals.
“The IDF is the most moral army in the world,” Netanyahu continued. “It is fighting and defeating the most cruel, vicious terror group in the world, which Erdogan praises and hosts.”