Erdogan's Statements Are Unquestionably Absurd: Scholz

The accusations made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against Israel regarding the Palestine-Israel conflict are absurd, as Tel Aviv adheres to international norms and human rights, stated German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. This information was reported by RIA Novosti.

“This is a country that is committed to upholding human rights and international law, and acts accordingly in its actions. And for that reason, the allegations against Israel are undoubtedly absurd,” Scholz responded to a question about whether Erdogan's statements regarding Israel's actions in Gaza crossed a red line for Berlin.

Scholz further clarified that, from the German government's perspective, Hamas is a terrorist organization, and Israel has the right to defend itself against it in the Gaza territory. “The situation in which Hamas would again have the opportunity to regroup, accumulate weapons, and attack Israel is unacceptable. In this matter, we clearly stand alongside Israel, which is a democratic state, of that there is no doubt,” he added.

The press conference was broadcasted on the German government's website. Earlier, Erdogan had stated that he does not consider Netanyahu to be “his interlocutor,” and labeled Hamas as a terrorist organization. The politician once again referred to Israel's actions as “fascist,” which he believes questions the legitimacy of the state. Among other things, the Turkish leader accused the German government of lacking a clear stance regarding the “Israeli massacre” in Gaza.