Netanyahu must be stopped ‘just as Hitler’ – Erdogan

The Turkish leader has called out the Israeli PM over the Gaza conflict

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged the international community to take action against Benjamin Netanyahu's “murder network,” once again likening the Israeli Prime Minister to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

In his address to the 79th UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Erdogan condemned the Israeli government's actions in Gaza, describing them as a “concentration camp.”

“Just as Hitler was stopped by the alliance of humanity 70 years ago, Netanyahu and his murder network must be stopped by the alliance of humanity,” Erdogan said. He also accused Netanyahu of trying to “drag the entire region into war for the sake of his political fortunes.”

Erdogan criticized the UN for its failure to “prevent the genocide in Gaza” and called for reforms to make the organization more representative and effective. He stated that the Security Council was too focused on the interests of its five permanent members and was failing to protect international peace and security.

Erdogan accused countries that support Israel unconditionally, including the United States, of being complicit in the violence against Palestinians. He emphasized the need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, as well as a hostage-prisoner exchange and uninterrupted humanitarian aid.

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Erdogan reiterated his support for the lawsuit filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to hold Israel accountable for its alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza. He also emphasized that the people of Türkiye do not harbor any hostility towards the people of Israel.

“We are against antisemitism in the same way that we are against the targeting of Muslims simply because of their beliefs,” he said. “Our problem is with the massacre policies of the Israeli government. Our problem is with oppression and tyranny, just as it was five centuries ago.”