Abbas and Erdogan
Photo: AP
Erdogan slams Netanyahu for attending Paris rally
Turkish president says Israeli prime minister must first answer for Gaza crimes, accuses Europeans of hypocrisy over anti-Muslim attacks.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for attending a rally in France with other world leaders after a string of attacks in Paris, including a hostage-taking at a Kosher market in which four Jews were killed.
Speaking alongside visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Erdogan attacked the Israeli leader's conduct and policies. "How can a man who has killed 25,000 people in Gaza with state terrorism wave his hand in Paris, like people are waiting in excitement for him to do so? How dare he go there?"
"You should first give an account for the children and the women you have killed," added Erdogan, who has been an outspoken critic of Israeli offensives against Hamas in the Strip, despite close commercial ties between Israel and Turkey.
Erdogan and Abbas (Photo: AP)
Erdogan, who did not attend the Sunday march, accused the West on Monday of hypocrisy for its stance over the attacks, though Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu did participate in the rally.
"The West's hypocrisy is obvious. As Muslims, we've never taken part in terrorist massacres. Behind these lie racism, hate speech and Islamophobia," Erdogan said. "Please, the administrations in those countries where our mosques are attacked need to take measures.
Netanyahu with world leaders (Photo: GPO)
"Games are being played with the Islamic world, we need to be aware of this," said Erdogan, who traces his political roots to a banned Islamist movement.
Mosques in France, Germany and Sweden have been vandalized before and since the attacks in what Turkey and others see as a growing tide of anti-Muslim sentiment across the continent.
Abbas and Erdogan in front of honor guard (Photo: AP)
Erdogan also suggested the attacks that killed 17 people were a failing of the French security forces since the suspects had recently served prison sentences." French citizens carry out such a massacre, and Muslims pay the price. That's very meaningful... Doesn't their intelligence organization track those who leave prison?"
Erdogan blamed Islamophobia for the West's reluctance to take in more Syrian refugees after nearly four years of civil war, while Turkey hosts more than 1.6 million Syrians.
For their part, European governments have criticized Turkey for allowing Islamic militants from Europe and elsewhere to travel through its territory to fight in neighboring Syria.
A suspected female accomplice in the Paris attacks came through Turkey to Syria before the killings occurred, Turkish officials said.
