War of words escalates, Israel PM Netanyahu calls Erdogan ‘anti-Semitic dictator’

Speaking in Istanbul Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Netanyahu an oppressor who commits "state terror".

By: AP

Jerusalem | December 23, 2018 10:42 PM IST

1 min read

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted on Sunday that he had asked for the deduction.

Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his dispute with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling him an ‘anti-Semitic dictator’. (File)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his dispute with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling him an “anti-Semitic dictator”. Netanyahu on Sunday said the Turkish leader was “obsessed with Israel” and his military “slaughters women and children in Kurdish villages”. His comments came at a meeting with Christian soldiers.

Speaking in Istanbul Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Netanyahu an oppressor who commits “state terror”. It wasn’t immediately clear what sparked the latest spat between the leaders.

Israel and Turkey were once close allies. But relations have steadily cooled since Erdogan, whose party has roots in Turkey’s Islamist movement, became prime minister in 2003. The exchange came just days after the US announced its withdrawal from Syria, where both Israel and Turkey are involved in the seven-year civil war.

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