Amid Israel’s ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that “there is no difference” between what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing in the Gaza Strip and what Adolf Hitler did during World War II.
Erdogan’s remarks came during a science awards ceremony in the capital Ankara on Wednesday, December 28.
Erdogan said, “They keep saying bad things about Hitler. How do you (Netanyahu) differ from Hitler? These (actions) will make us look for Hitler as well. Is there anything Netanyahu does that is less than Hitler? No.”
He added that Netanyahu is “richer than Hitler, as he receives various types of support from the West and the United States,” and with this support, “they killed more than 20,000 people in Gaza.”
Erdogan continued, “Despite all the efforts made by conscientious countries, such as Turkey, in the diplomatic field, unfortunately, we were unable to prevent the killing of hundreds of Gazans every day.”
“As Muslims, and above all as human beings, today we feel ashamed of our inability to prevent this injustice in our internal world, despite the assistance we provide, the struggle we wage, and the communications we make,” he added.
Netanyahu criticized the Turkish President’s statements and said, “Erdogan is the last person who can preach to Israel.”
In a statement, Netanyahu said, “Erdogan, who is committing a massacre against the Kurds and setting the world record for imprisoning journalists who oppose his regime, is the last person who can teach us morality.”
Netanyahu accused Erdogan of harboring Hamas leaders, and said the Israeli army was “fighting to eliminate the most brutal terrorist organization in the world,” accusing Hamas of “committing crimes against humanity.”
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid also condemned Erdogan’s statements and what he described as his “shameful comparisons regarding Netanyahu and Hitler.”
Erdogan constantly opposed the Israeli bombing campaign and ground operations carried out in the Gaza Strip.
He has repeatedly described Israel as a “terrorist state” and Netanyahu as the “butcher of Gaza,” for the scale of death and destruction caused by its response to Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7.
