Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan labeled Israel a “terrorist state” on Wednesday for its war in Gaza, where the death toll has reportedly climbed past 11,000, triggered by Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Turkish media reported.
Israel said the Oct. 7 attack killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
During an address to the parliamentary group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Ankara, President Erdoğan took a jab at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, referring to him as a “goner” from his position.
He condemned Israeli actions in Gaza, alleging that Israel targets schools, places of worship, hospitals and marketplaces, which he described as acts of “state terrorism.”
He referred to the actions of Israel as “the most heinous attacks against civilians” and lamented the lack of a strong international response to these actions. He stressed that Hamas, seen as a terrorist group by much of the Western world, is “a political party that won elections” and accused Israel and the US of depriving them of their rights after the 2006 elections.
Erdoğan also called on Netanyahu to clarify whether Israel possesses nuclear weapons.
Erdoğan has been increasingly vocal against Israel’s war in Gaza, accusing Israel of committing war crimes and causing a significant civilian death toll.