At a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ankara on Thursday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan criticized Germany for its ignorance of Israel’s “genocide” and attack on Gaza, according to Reuters.
Public friction between the NATO allies came to light during Merz’s first trip to Turkey since taking office.
Mertz said the government has supported Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and believes Israel is exercising its right to self-defense.
“To avoid countless unnecessary casualties, it would have taken just one decision. Hamas should have released the hostages and laid down its weapons sooner,” he said, adding that he hoped a ceasefire brokered by the United States and supported by Turkey would end the war.
President Erdogan, the most vocal critic of Israel’s attack on Gaza and a key figure in ceasefire negotiations, said he disagreed with Mertz.
“Hamas does not have bombs (or nuclear weapons), but Israel has all its nuclear weapons and uses these weapons to attack Gaza. For example, it used bombs again last night,” Erdoğan said.
“Don’t you, as Germany, see these? Will you, as Germany, not follow these? In addition to attacking Gaza,[Israel]has always tried to suppress Gaza through starvation and genocide.”
A UN investigation found that Israel committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, claiming that the killings, siege and destruction were carried out with the aim of destroying Palestinian life in the enclave. Multiple Israeli and international rights groups have reached the same conclusion.