Ankara responds to Israel after criticism of Erdogan: “We give a voice to the oppressed

Relations between Turkey and Israel have once again become strained after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on the situation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Following Erdogan’s remarks, Israel called him a “dictator,” while Ankara responded that the Turkish president was giving a voice to oppressed people.

The diplomatic clash was sparked by Erdogan’s speech at the 31st UN Climate Conference, which is being held in Antalya, Turkey.

During the conference, Erdogan urged Israel to send containers to Palestinians in Gaza, where heavy rainfall is further worsening living conditions.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded immediately with a harsh statement, saying that “the Turkish dictator has once again found an international platform to spew his propaganda against Israel.”

Israeli diplomats further accused the Turkish president of spreading lies and propaganda against the Jewish state. “Once again, dictator Erdogan is using an international forum to promote his anti-Israel campaign of lies. Hamas, whose leaders are based in Erdogan’s Turkey, is responsible for the destruction in Gaza,” the statement said.

Israel blamed Hamas for starting the war on October 7 and called for the organization to disarm, presenting this as a condition for beginning Gaza’s reconstruction.

The Turkish presidency responded by defending Erdogan’s position and stressing that he had spoken up for Palestinians suffering from Israel’s actions. “President Erdogan gave a voice to those oppressed by Israel at the Antalya Summit,” the statement said.

Ankara added that Turkey would continue to support the Palestinian people and all those suffering from Israeli policies.