Türkiye has condemned remarks by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz directed at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing Katz of using “undignified and inappropriate” language and saying the comments could not obscure Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Türkiye’s Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran said in a statement on Thursday that Katz’s remarks failed to divert attention from Israel's “record of genocide in the eyes of humanity or before history.”
The statement also referred to Katz’s reported interest in Turkish television, saying that history is not always learned from television series but is instead recorded in the collective memory of nations and the conscience of humanity.
“Today, history is being written before our eyes,” the statement said, adding that under President Erdogan’s leadership, Türkiye would continue to advocate for justice, peace and the rights of those affected by conflict.
“Meanwhile, Israel’s actions in Gaza continue to face serious allegations and scrutiny from the international community and under international law," it added.
It concluded by invoking lines from a Turkish poet, emphasising that silence would not erase history or truth.
“If we remain silent, history will not. If history falls silent, truth will not.”
President Erdogan had concluded his recent UNGA address with the same lines, quoting the late Turkish poet Sezai Karakoc.
He pledged at UNGA to continue defending the rights of the oppressed, victims and those without a voice for as long as he remained able to do so.
Israel has perpetrated a genocide in Gaza and killed over 73,928 Palestinians since October 2023.
Beyond the human toll, Israel has devastated Gaza’s civilian infrastructure. It also continues to carry out deadly violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
