Türkiye’s communications director says Israeli premier should be ‘last person’ to talk about genocide

ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun on Wednesday said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be the “last person” to talk about genocide, terrorism and morality.

“He has mastered skills to sell the world his war crimes against civilians as self-defense. Even though the world fails to stop him, history will judge him as the war criminal he is,” Altun said on X.

Highlighting Türkiye’s longstanding struggle against terrorism, Altun rebuked Netanyahu’s comments on this front as well.

“We have fought against the terror group PKK and its extensions for more than 40 years. Kurdish people in Türkiye themselves fought against the PKK that indiscriminately kills civilians and children just like Netanyahu himself!” he said.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Altun went on to criticize Netanyahu’s moral standing and said: “He cannot lecture anyone about how to conduct terror operations because he has no experience in this arena! He has been on a mission to drive Palestinians out of their lands for the last four decades. Now he has taken it to a new level by using the Israeli army to kill civilians in their homes, hospitals, and refugee camps.”

“Mr. Netanyahu cannot fool anyone by attacking our President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan to deflect attention from his war crimes. The world has seen what has been happening in occupied Palestine,” he said.

“Netanyahu’s desperate attempts to save his political career by killing civilians and expanding the war are doomed to fail. Our President Erdogan has called it for what it is, and he will not stop fighting for justice no matter how many lies Netanyahu tells the world,” he added.

In a call to the international community, Altun urged unity around efforts to achieve an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and negotiations for lasting peace.

“We have been doing our part and will continue to do so regardless of political attacks and defamation leveled against Türkiye. We will continue to speak the truth!,” the communications director added.

Israel launched a massive military campaign on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 21,110 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 55,243 others, according to local health authorities.

The onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million people displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicines.

Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

• Communications Director Fahrettin Altun
• Gaza
• Israel
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu'
• Turkiye