Erdoğan blasts ‘tainted blood’ of many, including German MPs

In a speech delivered on June 8, Erdoğan referred to a spate of attacks in the last week which killed at least 17 people blamed on militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“Occasionally some people that have tainted blood turn up but our nation gives them the lesson they deserve,” Erdoğan said while addressing a group of neighborhood heads in Ankara.

“Sometimes they are called terrorists who open fire upon their own state and nation. Sometimes they are called intellectuals/academics who issue a statement in support of them. Sometimes they are called members of parliament who carry weapons to them in their own cars and open their homes to terrorists. And, sometimes they are members of parliament in Germany who accuse their own country of genocide,” he said.

Underscoring that when he says “tainted blood,” he does not refer to a biological disorder or racism, Erdoğan clarified: “In our culture, saying someone has tainted blood is a reference to their character. It means a man who wrongs his own people and insists on engaging in bad deeds. The nationality of a terrorist who points his weapon at this country does not matter. In our eyes, he has tainted blood.”

Later during the same night, while holding a press conference at Esenboğa Airport in Ankara before leaving for the United States to attend boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s funeral, he referred to the “racism” issue once more, however within a different framework.

Stating that Ali was a sincere Muslim who said, “I asked for wealth, Allah gave me Islam,” and he, with his exemplary lifestyle, led many people to the righteous path after becoming a Muslim, Erdoğan said: “It will never be forgotten that he put on a firefighter’s helmet in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and said, ‘Islam is not a killer religion. Islam means peace.’ His inspiring conviction, resolve and determination played a great role in his well-deserved accomplishments. We will always remember with grace his honorable struggle against racism and discrimination.”

Erdoğan added: “Muhammad Ali was not just a champion athlete or a boxing legend. He was also a freedom fighter who threw his punches for all the oppressed people in the world. Muhammad Ali is the champion of the hearts as well as the rings.”

Later, Erdoğan was seen off at Esenboğa Airport by Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman, Deputy Parliament Speaker Ahmet Aydın, Ankara Governor Mehmet Kılıçlar, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek, members of parliament and other officials.