Erdogan calls Netanyahu 'butcher of Gaza'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the "butcher of Gaza," accusing him of "fanning the flames of anti-Semitism" worldwide.

During a speech to his parliamentary bloc, Erdogan said, "Netanyahu is now carving his name in history as the butcher of Gaza." 

He added that Netanyahu "puts the security of the Israeli people and the security of all Jews at risk by fueling anti-Semitic tendencies due to the killing crimes he committed in Gaza."

The Turkish president has repeatedly referred to Israel as a "terrorist state," considering Hamas as "freedom fighters seeking to protect their land."

Israel withdrew its diplomats from Turkey at the end of October following harsh criticism from Erdogan, who accused Israel of committing "war crimes."

AFP