Türkiye condemns Israeli defense minister’s remarks on President Erdogan

'Israeli government’s actions in Gaza continue to face serious allegations, scrutiny from int'l community and under international law,' says Turkish communications director

Türkiye on Thursday condemned remarks by Israeli Defense 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 the situation in Gaza. Turkish Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said in a statement 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 dramas, 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 Erdogan’s leadership, Türkiye would continue to advocate for justice, peace and the rights of those affected by conflict. “Meanwhile, the Israeli government’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, emphasizing that silence would not erase history or truth. “If we remain silent, history will not. If history falls silent, truth will not.”