Erdogan to the hypocritical West: You mourned children killed in Ukraine, why are you silent about children killed in Gaza?

(Patria) - President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan today accused the West of being "the main culprit for the massacres in Gaza".

- Western countries are the main culprits for the massacres in Gaza. Except for a few conscientious individuals who have raised their voices, these massacres are entirely the work of the West - Erdogan stated, addressing a rally of millions in support of Palestine at the old Ataturk Airport in Istanbul.

In a sharp speech, Erdogan criticized Western powers, expressing doubt that they are "creating an atmosphere of crusades" against Muslims.

Bugün İstanbul’da Filistin davasına sahip çıkan, Gazzeli mazlumlara umut olan aziz milletimin her bir ferdini tebrik ediyorum.

Tüm ülkeleri, Gazze’de çocuklar, kadınlar ve masum sivillerle birlikte enkaz altında kalan insanlığın ortak değerlerine sahip çıkmaya çağırıyoruz. 🇹🇷🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/Vq9aZOW79e

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) October 28, 2023

- I ask the West - will you create a new atmosphere of crusades against the Crescent, the symbol of Islam. We all know that Israel cannot do anything without them - Erdogan said.

He criticized the Western superpowers for not even calling for a ceasefire.

- You mourned the children killed in Ukraine, why are you silent about the children killed in Gaza - asked the Turkish leader, accusing Israel of "war crimes".

- Israel, we declare you a war criminal before the whole world. Israel, you are occupiers, conquerors.

Of course, every country has the right to defense, but where is justice? What is happening in Gaza is not self-defense, but a massacre - Erdogan added, Hina reports.

Büyük Filistin Mitingi'ndeyiz. https://t.co/Tx84Bzkuqx

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) October 28, 2023

In a somewhat more conciliatory tone, he called on Israelis not to "disregard the sense of compassion among Turks".

- Listen to our calls for dialogue, take a step in the right direction for yourselves and your children. We believe that in a just peace, there will be no losers - Erdogan concluded.