Tayyip Erdogan calls Israeli response to Hamas in Gaza a ‘massacre’

ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Israel’s blockade and bombing of Gaza in retaliation for Palestinian group Hamas’ attack was a disproportionate response amounting to a “massacre”. With Ankara offering to mediate, Erdogan and his foreign minister held calls with regional powers, the United States and others. Speaking to his ruling AK Party in parliament, Erdogan said even war had a “morality” but the flare-up since the weekend had “very severely” violated that. On Wednesday, Erdogan criticised Israel’s “disproportionate” attacks on Gaza as “devoid of any ethical foundation”, and called on the world not to “blindly” take one side. Everyone should refrain from acts that will wholly punish the Palestinian people, like blocking humanitarian aid,” he said.