NEW YORK
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an exclusive interview with CNN on Friday blamed Israel of being a terror state and criticized the world's so-called democratic countries for favoring the Israeli operation.
In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson, Erdogan said: "They're creating a wave of terror with what they're doing now. Israel's position in Palestine is apparent."
Since July 7, Israel has pummeled the Gaza Strip – from air, land and sea – with the ostensible aim of halting Palestinian rocket fire.
Erdogan recalled a meeting with former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Tel Aviv, when Sharon used the expression: "The most enjoyable moments of my life are those when I was on top of tanks in Palestine."
Erdogan said, "I can never forget this. Of course, it clearly displays the viewpoint of one human towards another."
He stated in meetings both with George Bush and Barack Obama, they always refer to a two-state structure in the region in the form of Israel-Palestine, and he said referring to both states accepting each other: "We kept working on this with Palestine all the time, (urging for a two state solution) meaning you accept Israel, and that Israel accepts you."
"However we are now facing such a picture, it's beyond comprehension that Israel is still defended by the West, and the world is silent about it," Erdogan said. "Therefore, Turkey cannot and will not remain silent."
Erdogan stressed Hamas and Fatah are unified in respect of this two-state structure, and have formed a national consensus government. He highlighted, "Israel, however, does not want this government to make progress, they want to break it up."
Criticizing Israel for not adhering to any ceasefire, Erdogan said, "If Israel is really genuine about the ceasefire, they should first adhere to the 2012 ceasefire. Look, within the framework of 2012, at the moment, Hamas is prepared for everything in order to achieve a ceasefire. Again, Palestine, Mr. Abbas, is prepared, too."
One week ago, Israel expanded its offensive to include ground operations, sending thousands of troops into the embattled coastal enclave.
The Palestinian death toll from Israel's devastating military offensive in the Gaza Strip rose to 815. According to official Israeli figures, 34 Israelis – 32 soldiers and two civilians – have been killed since hostilities began.
Israel's operation "Protective Edge" is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the densely-populated Gaza Strip, which is home to some 1.8 million Palestinians, within the last six years.
In 2008/9, over 1,500 Palestinians were killed – the vast majority of them civilians – during Israel's three-week-long operation "Cast Lead."
www.aa.com.tr/en
