Netanyahu committing genocide in Gaza with Western support: Erdoğan
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday that Netanyahu, with the support of the Western powers, has been committing outright genocide against the Palestinian people, and he affirmed that the world is witnessing one of the greatest barbarities of the century.
"Netanyahu and his crazed administration have been openly carrying out genocide against Palestinian people with the unlimited support of Western countries," Erdoğan said in a joint news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara.
"Netanyahu and his "partners in crime" will be held accountable for every drop of blood they shed before the law and the public conscience," he said.
Underscoring that they have been and will continue to work for this cause, Erdoğan reminded that Türkiye made an oral presentation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Feb. 26 and declared its position on several aspects of the issue.
The Israeli government "continues to kill our brothers and sisters, women and children alike, and to massacre civilians waiting in line for food and aid despite the ICJ's injunction," Erdoğan said.
"Western powers' support for Israel in an effort to atone for their crimes during the Holocaust is the main cause of Israel's bravado and lawless behavior," he added.
Erdoğan also said that Israeli settlers were one of the main obstacles to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"One of the biggest obstacles to a solution are the actions of the usurpers, called settlers, who have invaded and stolen land that belonged to Palestinians," Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan, a vocal advocate of the Palestinian cause, also called for unrestrained access to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, due to start this year on March 10 or 11.
"The demands of radical Israeli politicians to restrict the entry of Muslims... are totally absurd," he said. "The consequences of such a move would undoubtedly be serious."
"We're about to start the month of Ramadan," Abbas said. "It is well known that extremist settlers go to Al-Aqsa and carry out attacks there."
Israel said Tuesday that it would allow as many Muslim worshippers to access the Al-Aqsa mosque during the first week of Ramadan as in previous years and would assess the situation every week.
Every year, tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers perform Ramadan prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound. The site, known as Temple Mount to Jews, is holy to both Jews and Muslims.
Ramadan comes this year as Israel wages a relentless military campaign in the Gaza Strip in response to a deadly attack by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7.
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir had recently said that Palestinian residents of the West Bank "should not be allowed" entry to Jerusalem to pray during Ramadan.
Ben Gvir leads a hard-right party advocating Jewish control of the compound.
Days later, the United States called on Israel to allow Muslims to worship at Al-Aqsa.
Abbas is in Türkiye for talks about the Gaza war and reconciliation efforts between Palestinian factions.
