Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proudly declared that over 1,000 members affiliated with the Hamas group were currently receiving medical care in various hospitals throughout Turkey, according to a report by Reuters.
Erdogan made this statement during a joint press conference held with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Ankara. Notably, Erdogan took offense when Mitsotakis labeled Hamas as a terrorist organization, leading to a rebuke from the Turkish President.
Responding to Mitsotakis’ assertion that Israel entered Gaza following a “terror” incident resulting in the loss of its citizens and that Greece deemed Hamas a “terrorist organization,” Erdogan expressed his disagreement, stating, “If you call Hamas a ‘terrorist organization,’ this would sadden us. We don’t deem Hamas a terrorist organization… More than 1,000 members of Hamas are under treatment in hospitals across our country.”
A Turkish official, preferring anonymity, clarified later that Erdogan’s reference was intended for Palestinian Arabs from Hamas-governed Gaza in general, rather than specifically Hamas members. The official stated, “President Erdogan misspoke, he meant 1,000 Gazans are under treatment, not Hamas members,” as reported by Reuters.
Erdogan escalated his verbal assaults on Israel since the initiation of the Gaza conflict on October 7.
In a fiery speech, Erdogan accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of perpetrating “one of the greatest atrocities of this century in Gaza” and cementing his legacy as the “butcher of Gaza.”
Further stoking tensions, Erdogan criticized the United States and European nations for what he perceived as insufficient efforts to pressure Israel into accepting a ceasefire in Gaza, despite Hamas signaling willingness to agree to one.
Addressing Muslim scholars in Istanbul, Erdogan hailed Hamas’ acceptance of a ceasefire proposal put forth by Qatar and Egypt as a step toward achieving lasting peace. However, he accused Netanyahu’s government of prolonging the conflict by targeting innocent civilians in Rafah.
Erdogan lamented the lack of substantial repercussions for Netanyahu’s actions, asserting that neither Europe nor America had exerted enough pressure on Israel to enforce a ceasefire.
The Turkish Trade Ministry announced the suspension of all export and import activities with Israel, citing Israel’s alleged violations of international law and human rights through its actions against Palestine. This decision followed Turkey’s earlier restriction on the export of 54 product categories to Israel.
Erdogan justified Turkey’s trade halt with Israel as a means to compel the country to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, underscoring Turkey’s stance on the matter.
{Matzav.com}