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Erdogan Denounces Israeli “Genocide” Amid Anti-Semitic Violence Incited by Political Allies

by TheTower.org Staff |

Yesterday Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of perpetrating a “systemic genocide” against the Palestinian people. Those comments came a few hours before violent protests against the Israeli embassy in Ankara and the Israeli consulate in Istanbul:

Turkish police today fired tear gas at protesters outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, as demonstrators pelted the building with stones in condemnation of Israel’s ground offensive on Gaza.

According to local media reports, the crowd chanted “Murderer Israel, get out of Palestine”, as they smashed windows, while anti-Jewish graffiti was scrawled across one of the building’s walls.

The protesters attempted to enter the consulate a number of times and lit a fire outside, according to Algemeiner.

Meanwhile, in the capital Ankara, demonstrators waved Turkish and Palestinian flags outside the Israeli embassy and chanted slogans. Windows were broken but police reportedly did not intervene.

Algemeiner also reported that parliament members from Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) were reportedly among the rioters in Ankara. That incident may have been fueled by Ankara mayor Melih Gökçek, a senior AKP member who tweeted, “[the embassy] will be taken… The despicable murderers’ Consulate has to be kicked out of Turkey. We do not want an Embassy in Turkey of the murderers!”

Gökçek also praised a recent tweet by popular singer Yıldız Tilbe, which said, “God bless Hitler. If God allows, it will again be Muslims who will bring the end of those Jews, it is near, near.”

Bulent Yildirim, the head of the IHH, the organization behind 2010′s Mavi Marmara incident, spoke on a local television station, warning that “Turkish Jews will pay dearly.”

Jewish tourists, don’t dare come to Turkey. Tonight and tomorrow we are going to hold a different kind of protest, we do not have patience anymore. […] The Zionists are putting the future of the Jews in danger, we can not hold back our youngsters anymore.

After the recent events, an anonymous activist told Algemeiner, “The Turkish Jewish Community which has been living in Turkey peacefully for over 500 years, is in grave danger for their lives after the escalation of the events in the Middle East.”

Erdogan, who had previously compared a female member of the Knesset to Adolf Hitler, doubled down on his comments today, saying: “Israel threatens world peace. Israel threatens peace in the Middle East. Therefore, I personally, can never contemplate anything positive with Israel as long as I remain on duty.”

Turkey is a member of NATO.

[Photo: Ruptly TV / YouTube]

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