Turkey’s government has once again accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, despite its long-standing denial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
At a conference on “Global Diplomacy and the Future of Palestine,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan claimed that the situation in Gaza demonstrates the international system serves the interests of a select minority. Fidan, speaking in Ankara, said the people of the region have suffered for over 70 years and that the international community, including Arab and Islamic nations, has failed to stop the violence.
He stated that “genocide is taking place in front of everyone’s eyes,” with 42,000 people, mostly women and children, deliberately killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, due to Israeli military attacks. Fidan stressed these deaths were intentional, saying civilians were deliberately targeted by Israeli forces.
He criticized the international community’s inaction, claiming the global system has collapsed under the challenges of the past year.
While Turkey continues to strongly accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza, it remains steadfast in denying the 1915 Armenian Genocide, in which over 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed by the Ottoman Empire.
As previously reported in March, tensions between Turkey and Israel escalated when Turkish President Erdogan compared Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza to those of notorious historical figures like Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin. Netanyahu responded by criticizing Erdogan’s refusal to recognize the Armenian Genocide and accused him of supporting terrorists and oppressing minorities within Turkey.
It’s critical to note that neither Turkey nor Israel officially recognizes the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Additionally, both Turkey and Israel supported Azerbaijan in the ethnic cleansing, genocide, and occupation of Artsakh from 2020 to 2023.
