Turkey's ambassador was recalled from Israel on Saturday over Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's concerns with the nation's response to Hamas in Gaza.
Erdogan has advocated for a cease-fire, referring to Hamas terrorists as liberators despite the group killing over 1,400 Israelis in recent civilian attacks.
Turkey recalls Israel ambassador amid tense relations with Netanyahu https://t.co/68GYsPIKdo
— The Hill (@thehill) November 5, 2023
“Israel has been openly committing war crimes for 22 days, but the Western leaders cannot even call on Israel for a cease-fire, let alone react to it,” Erdoğan said last week, the Hill reported.
“We will tell the whole world that Israel is a war criminal,” he added. “We are making preparations for this. We will declare Israel a war criminal.”
Turkey recalls ambassador from Israel https://t.co/h1Y3n8Rq1t
— POLITICO (@politico) November 4, 2023
"Turkey’s statement comes within hours of an announcement from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he would visit Turkey as part of his extended recent travels to the region," Politico reported.
"A State Department news release Saturday morning outlined Blinken’s goals in Turkey as underscoring 'the importance of protecting civilian lives in Israel and the Gaza Strip,' including humanitarian assistance," it continued.
Turkey Recalls Ambassador from Israel, Cuts Contact with Netanyahuhttps://t.co/lGb6sJbt59
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 4, 2023
"Israel had earlier withdrawn all diplomats from Turkey and other regional countries as a security precaution," Breitbart News reported.
"The Israeli foreign ministry said last weekend it was 're-evaluating' relations with Ankara because of Turkey’s increasingly heated rhetoric about the Israel-Hamas war," it noted.
Israel has continued to attack Hamas in Gaza in retaliation for the attacks. After three weeks of warnings and preparations, ground troops entered the area to begin more intense operations against the group.
The Biden administration initially supported Israel's operation as self-defense, including widespread support in a resolution from Congress. The White House has since softened its tone, seeking a more limited response from Israel, a move that Netanyahu has refused to accept as Israel's military seeks to end Hamas from the ability to conduct future operations against its people.
Israel increasingly finds itself being attacked by mainstream media as well, with growing coverage of the "Free Palestine" movement protests across Europe and North America while Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel during the military operations in Gaza. Israel's actions have now drawn the frustration of Turkey's leaders who have decided to pull back from relations with Israel.
