Turkish PM Erdoğan cites ‘Hitler’s perverse ideas’ to slam Israel

VAN

PM Erdoğan greets his supporters during a rally in Van, July 31. AA Photo

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has continued to ramp up his rhetoric against Israel by likening its policy to Adolf Hitler’s actions and telling the American Jewish Congress to “shove” the award he received in 2004.

“So you commit all kinds of acts against humanity, shell a city from the sky without any discrimination. Then immorally accuse people of being anti-Semitic when they tell you to stop,” Erdoğan told his supporters during a rally in the eastern province of Van July on 31 as part of his presidential campaign.

“Who protected them when all the world kicked Jewish people out? Our ancestors, the Ottomans. Don’t you have any shame,” he said.

Erdoğan didn’t spare the American Jewish Congress, while referring to the letter that its president, Jack Rosen, sent on July 23 asking him to return a courage prize award in 2004 – years before the ties between both countries were strained. “If you give your support to this oppression, then you can take your prize and shove it,” Erdoğan said.

He also repeated his stance that Israel’s crimes were no different than Hitler. “Some are disturbed when I compare what Israel does to Hitler. I am addressing the whole world from Van: What difference is between what Israel does and what Hitler and the Nazis did. If this is not genocide, how you would explain it?” he said.