Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hit out at Israel on Monday, accusing the Jewish state of killing children during its three-day operation against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group in the Gaza Strip.
The scathing criticism comes after two years of steadily warming relations between Jerusalem and Ankara.
“We condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza. There can be no excuse for killing children,” Erdogan said in comments carried by the official Anadolu news agency.
Erdogan stressed his support for the Palestinians, saying Turkey “stands alongside the Palestinian people and our brothers in Gaza,” and reiterated Turkish support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Turkish leader’s criticism came after the country’s foreign ministry issued a statement over the weekend criticizing Israel over the Gaza strikes.
