TEL AVIV—Israel’s Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz hit back at Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the latter accused Israel of attempting a “systematic genocide” of Palestinian Arabs in Gaza.
In a post on his Facebook page, Katz reminded Erodgan of the Armenian Genocide, when in 1915 more than a million Armenians were murdered by Ottoman troops, Israel National News reports.
“In 1915 the Turks massacred a million and a half Armenians and he accuses us, who are fighting his friends in the Islamic movement, of genocide? Who wants a relationship with such a person?” wrote Katz.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday launched a virulent attack against Israel over its actions in Gaza, comparing the mentality of some in the Jewish state to Adolf Hitler, Agence France-Presse reports.
Erdogan said, “We are witnessing this systematic genocide every Ramadan. The Western world remains silent; so does the Islamic world.”
Erdogan, who portrays himself as the global Muslim leader who speaks up for Palestinian rights, has intensified his rhetoric against Israel over its actions in Gaza, ahead of an August 10 presidential election in Turkey.
“(Israelis) have no conscience, no honour, no pride. They curse Hitler day and night, but they have surpassed Hitler in barbarism,” Erdogan told supporters at a campaign rally in the Black Sea city of Ordu.
He has accused the Jewish state of carrying out a “genocide” of Palestinians and has ruled out any improvement in troubled ties that soured after Israel’s 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship which killed ten Turks.
To the hell with the Israeli recognition, I say… esh chenk…
When Jewish State is in trouble, all of sudden we hear the reality of Armenian Genocide by some Israeli officials, in order to neutralize Muslim world, especially Turkey!
The Turks can not be that stupid to open such a can of worms. There must be something behind Erdogan’s statements. He must be angling for some sort of concession from Israel or the West. I don’t believe for a moment that seasoned politicians make statements which are not consulted with their respective parties beforehand.
I absolutely despise the way Israeli & U.S. officials have the audacity of using the Armenian Genocide ONLY as a chip on their poker table with Turkey to expose her hypocrisy & THEIR OWN, without realizing it… Which once again make them look like stupid fools on a world wide platform! I wish that cowardly Israel would man up and OFFICAILLY Recognize the ARMENIAN GENOCIDE in their own Knesset instead of only using it as rhetoric towards Turkey’s big-moth leaders!
All games. Israel and Turkey are inseparable allies whose defense and security apparatus is intertwined. None of this empty talk has impacted trade and arms sales between the two one bit.
Erdogan back to his old tactics again of trying to gain the Muslim sympathy vote, he couldn’t care less about the plight of Palestinians.
Someone should send the Knesset a note stating that the Armenian Genocide is not a “political bargaining” chip to be pulled out of their rear ends like a credit card every time they want to quell Turkish flames. Instead of whoring out the AG to Jews all the time, the ARF should help preserve the dignity of those that perished by telling these Jews to not make politically motivated self serving references to the AG during discussions with Turkey.
YES IT IS OK FOR HIM TWO USE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WHEN IT SUITS ISRAEL ON FACEBOOK BUT THE ISRAEL GOVERNMENT IS TWO-FACED ABOUT THE TURKISH GENOCIDE OCCURRENCE AND CONTINUED DENIAL.PALESTIONE– CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT –IT IS A WAR. THAT’S WHAT THE TURKS SAY HAPPENED–IT WAS A WAR. THE JEWISH STATE IS IN A ”SCREWY STATE OF MIND”.
Katz does a great job speaking out for what is true. Don’t speak about the Israeli’s committing genocide, when you have yet to recognize the Armenian genocide. Erdogan’s logic is stupid. But that makes him dangerous. He wants to be a great Muslim leader. So did those who governed the Turkish empire in 1915.
They wanted an all Muslim state. Which meant the end of the Armenian Christian population.
I am not actually happy with this guys comments, every time turkey says something about Israel, they use the Armenian genocide to blackmail them.
…. “(Israelis) have no conscience, no honour, no pride. They curse Hitler day and night, but they have surpassed Hitler in barbarism,” Erdogan told supporters at a campaign rally in the Black Sea city of Ordu….. HE MIGHT BE RRIGHT, had not been the actual situation, Israel’s Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz would have never mentioned the Armenian Genocide, a country that has close knowledge of the sufferings of the Armenian people and so far have refused to recognize.
It is a shame, but you must realize that in politics, there is no such thing as “morality” and “brotherhood”. I think many Armenians end up going in circles because we all expect for these things to be incorporated into everyday political decision-making, then we’re shocked when that’s not the case.
Israel, in its short existence, has grasped this concept much quicker than we have. Of course it’s not right to deny the genocide, nor to make a political game out of it, but you honestly can’t be surprised or shocked that people do that in this day and age. Instead of sitting and shaking your head in disbelief that something like this keeps happening over and over, let’s think of proactive ways to stop people from denying the genocide, and spreading awareness.
The Turks are liars their people are brainwashed so they don’t know about this there is evidence that they committed this crime against humanity and this tyrants will deny it no matter what. Like it or no Armenians like the Jews are smart people and they don’t want harm on any of their neighbors that is why they are the people that get slaughtered look at history…
Then look at Turks history causing war everywhere on the wrong side all the time
I am 17 and armenian
I don’t want anyone to think I am saying this becoues I’m a armenian I can lie but evidence and facts don’t
Its our fault that AG is being used for political games by lowlifes everywhere.
Diplomacy,at its worst….When things were going well between the the jews and the jerky turks…the jews were mute,on the Armenian Genocide…Now,when their is controversy,they mention it….They really belong to each other….
This Zionist khoz should look in the mirror before opening his trap. Everytime Turkey accuses Israel of the atrocities that they commit on the poor Palestinians, “certain” Israeli politicians bring up our extremely painful past: the Armenian Genocide. Why not recognize the Armenian Genocide Israel??? Why all the BS?
Oh I know… they want the holocaust to be the only genocide of the 20th century so that they continue with their victimization tactic and big business with Turkey regardless of what politicians on both sides say. Shame on you both: turkey and israel. Just remember Turkey was the first country to recognize the creation of Israel due to the numbers of hidden crypto-jews within turkish politics.
again with the crypto-conspiracies..
Oh, Israel only remembers the genocide every time Erdogan opens his mouth? Talk is cheap, if this is a genuine gesture (which, it is not), then Israel would have recognized the genocide years ago.
Comments like these should only be reason enough for Turkey to recognize the genocide and make amends with the Armenians. They’d be smart to eliminate a tremendous trump card the world has on them, but most of them are too proud and nationalist to realize the utility in doing that.
You see Mr. whatever; it does not work. Either you recognize the Armenian genocide and get over with it, or go look somewhere else to blackmail Turkey. I wonder why the Armenian media keeps on publishing these – by now humiliating more than anything else – statements by Israeli diplomats every time there’s a crisis between them and Turks.
Has Erdogan answered this rhitoric question? I believe, no, and nobody would wait any answer from him for the turk nows the Jews themselves do not belive to such “shows”.
The Jews must be honest towards the world and themselves, otherwise nobody would believe them whatever they say. And also Jews must know for sure, if Armenians flee away from thier historical territory, they will stay alone in this region and the second people who would go away will be they- the Jews. The strong they are, all the same they are no stronger than the muslims.
Regardless of when, why or WHO is indulging in this form of subhuman behavior, HYPOCRICY IS INTOLERABLE… It MUST be promptly pointed out and fought against by all of Its effected victims EVERYTIME…
Hey Israeli Transport Minister, what about Israel denial of Armenian genocide?