Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a key NATO ally, accused the United States of participating in a “genocide” in Gaza while labeling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a bloodthirsty “vampire.”
In a speech to Turkey’s parliament following an Israeli airstrike that caused numerous civilian deaths in Rafah, Erdogan’s remarks were notably strong and supportive of Hamas, diverging from other NATO members who have criticized Israel to various extents. His Wednesday comments went further, likening Netanyahu to a supernatural monster.
“The world is watching the barbarism of a sick man, a maniac, a psychopath, and a blood-feeding vampire called Netanyahu,” Erdogan stated.
“Israel is not just a threat to Gaza but to all of humanity,” Erdogan added. “No state is safe as long as Israel does not follow international law and does not feel bound by international law.”
He also cast blame for the “genocide” on the U.S., one of Turkey’s closest allies.
“Oh, the American state, this blood is on your hands also,” Erdogan declared. “You are responsible for this genocide at least as much as Israel. Oh, the heads of state and government of Europe, you are also a party to Israel’s genocide, this barbarism, this vampirelike act of Israel, because you remained silent.”
These remarks are likely to further strain already tense relations between the U.S. and Turkey, whose differences have become more pronounced amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., is openly supported by Turkey. In March, Erdogan reiterated his backing for the group while comparing Israel to “Nazis.”
“No one can make us qualify Hamas as a terrorist organization. Turkey is a country that speaks openly with Hamas leaders and firmly backs them,” he stated.
“Netanyahu and his administration, with their crimes against humanity in Gaza, are writing their names next to Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin, like today’s Nazis,” he continued.
Tensions between the U.S. and Turkey have been ongoing for years under Erdogan’s leadership, which has seen the country shift towards a more authoritarian and Islamist stance. The U.S. finds it challenging to distance itself from Turkey due to its strategic importance, controlling the Dardanelles Strait and possessing NATO’s second-largest standing military.
Palestinian authorities allege that a deadly fire causing around 45 civilian deaths and injuring hundreds was triggered by an Israeli airstrike. Israeli officials dispute this, suggesting secondary explosions, possibly from Hamas weapons caches, started the fire. Netanyahu issued a rare apology for the strike, calling it a “tragic mistake.”
The incident has sparked global condemnations and occurred just days after the International Court of Justice issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes during the conflict.
