TEL AVIV – The Foreign Ministry on Monday slammed Turkey’s condemnation of Sunday night’s IDF strikes in Gaza, saying the country, which has carried out its own violent crackdowns following the military coup, would be wise to “think twice” before criticizing the military actions of other nations.
“The normalization of our relations with Turkey does not mean that we will remain silent in the face of its baseless condemnations. Israel will continue to defend its civilians from all rocket fire on our territory, in accordance with international law and our conscience,” the ministry statement read.
“Israel will continue to defend its innocent civilians from all rocket fire on our territory, in accordance with international law, and according to our responsibility and our conscience. Turkey should think twice before criticizing the military actions of others,” it added.
Turkey’s foreign ministry said on Monday that his country’s reconciliation deal with Israel has not changed Ankara’s position on the Palestinians, and condemned Israel for its retaliatory strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza, saying they “violate the law and human conscience.”
“The normalization of ties with Israel does not compel us to remain silent on the attacks against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” the Turkish ministry said in a statement.
“We will continue to protect the Palestinians from Israeli actions that violate the law and human conscience,” the statement said.
The statement did not make any mention of the rocket from Gaza that landed in the southern Israeli town of Sderot.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s own hit list of enemies is growing at an alarming rate. Since July’s military coup, more than more than 60,000 military personnel, police, judges, civil servants, and teachers have been detained, dismissed, or suspended, prompting accusations that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is dragging the country toward totalitarianism.
Earlier on Monday, Turkish police arrested five people for attempting to break into Israel’s consulate in Istanbul to protest the Israeli strikes in Gaza.
Turkey’s condemnation came days after Ankara approved a deal ending a six-year rift with Jerusalem. Relations between the two countries soured after the IDF stormed a Turkish “humanitarian” flotilla that attempted to breach the naval blockade of Gaza.
Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Saturday that he plans to travel to Israel during his next round of international visits.