ANKARA
Turkey’s deputy prime minister said that the Israeli prime minister should review his own government’s “aggressive” policy towards the Palestinian people, after he made “shameful comments” calling on the international community to repudiate Turkey’s president for attacking his participation in a mass anti-terrorism rally in Paris.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus received British Ambassador to Turkey Richard Moore and officials from the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities on Thursday in Ankara.
Kurtulmus, during a press conference after the meeting said: “Before making shameful comments, PM Netanyahu should review his government’s still ongoing aggressive policies towards the Palestinian people.”
During Monday's joint press conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on the Israeli premier's presence at the anti-terrorism rally in France by saying, "I find it very difficult to understand how he dared to go there after killing 2,500 people in Gaza through state terrorism."
In response, Netanyahu wrote on his Twitter account on Wednesday: “The war on terror won't succeed if it is founded on hypocrisy. And I have yet to hear any world leader condemn the comments by Erdogan. These shameful remarks must be repudiated by the international community, because the war against terror only succeeds if guided by moral clarity.”
Kurtulmus added that if the international community would repudiate someone it should be Netanyahu for the occupation of Gaza and its people’s properties.
“The international community should do everything to prevent Israel from these occupations and Israel’s violations of human rights,” he said.
Kurtulmus stated that Turkey has been saying that “the door to the world’s peace is the Middle East” and in order for that Palestine needs to be free from Israeli occupation.
The deputy PM also commented on last week’s attacks in France, which left 17 people dead, saying that Turkey would stand against any form of terror, no matter where it took place.
“We need to be together in the fight against terrorism,” he said. “To kill a person is a crime against humanity, just like insulting or degrading members of a religion and its holiness.”
