Erdoğan says Biden has ‘bloody hands’ for backing Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday said US President Joe Biden had “bloody hands” because of his support for Israel in the raging conflict in the Gaza Strip, Agence France-Presse reported.

The Turkish president’s comments in a nationally televised address represented one of his strongest attacks on Biden since his arrival in the White House in January.

Erdoğan had spent the past few months trying to repair relations with Washington and reaching out to other Western allies after a year of sharp disputes.

But he lashed out at Biden directly in a nationally televised address.

“You are writing history with your bloody hands,” Erdoğan said.

“You forced us to say this because we cannot stay silent anymore.”

Erdoğan has gained support across the Middle East by championing the Palestinian cause during his 18-year rule.

He accused Israel last week of waging “terrorism” and vowed to rally the world to Gaza’s defense.

“Today we saw Biden’s signature on a weapons sale to Israel,” Erdoğan said on Monday in reference to US media reports of a new arms shipment approved by the Biden administration.

“Palestine territories are awash with persecution, suffering and blood, like many other territories that lost the peace with the end of the Ottomans. And you are supporting that,” Erdoğan told Biden.

He also lashed out at Austria for flying the flag of Israel in a sign of “solidarity” with the Jewish state last week.

“I condemn Austria for hanging the Israeli terrorist state’s flag,” Erdoğan said.

“The Austrian state seems to be trying to make Muslims pay the price for [its role] in the Holocaust.”

Erdoğan has been waging a diplomatic campaign to impose sanctions and other punishments on Israel for a military offensive that has claimed the lives of more than 200 Palestinians since May 10.

“Palestinians will continue to be subjected to a massacre unless the international community punishes Israel … with sanctions,” Erdoğan’s office quoted him as saying in a call with Pope Francis earlier Monday.

He also suggested that Jerusalem should be governed by a new administration “composed of representatives of the three religions” — Judaism, Islam and Christianity.