International community should stop ‘Israel’s desire for genocide,’ says PM Erdoğan

BALIKESİR - Doğan News Agency

A group of oil wrestlers welcoming Prime Minister Erdoğan in Balıkesir pose in front his campaign bus. AA photo

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has once again slammed Israel for its offensive on Gaza, also criticizing the international community for remaining silent on the issue.

“Israel did not obey the truce declared yesterday, their lust for blood will not end,” Erdoğan said Aug. 2 at a presidential campaign rally in the western province of Balıkesir. “But they will drown in the blood they lust for,” he added.

Erdoğan said Israel killed hundreds of people, including the elderly and children, and the world started to pay attention to the issue only after hundreds of children and over 1,500 people were killed.

“The international community should stop Israel’s desire for genocide,” the prime minister said. “When our police responded to vandals who attacked shops in Istanbul’s Taksim, the western media talked about it for days. The United States, Europe, you were als talking. Where are you now?” he asked, recalling the criticism the government faced for police brutality during the Gezi protests in June, 2013.
Erdoğan said Israel is “crying over a captured soldier.”

 “You are talking about it, but who will pay the price for 1,500 martyrs?” the prime minister asked, adding that Israel was disturbed that “we are trying to stop this genocide.”

“They want Turkey to remain silent, just like it did in the old days. Those days are long gone,” he said, adding that some groups in Turkey were also disturbed by Turkey’s efforts for Gaza.

“They suddenly remembered the Turkmens. We struggle for our Turkmen brothers as much as we do for Gaza, and even more. They should go and ask about us to the Turkmens in Syria and Iraq,” Erdoğan said.