Turkey Asks Israeli Envoy to Leave Country,Israeli PM Has ‘Blood’ on His Hands, Erdogan Says

Column: How the US turned on Turkey and ended its planes in Syria

Turkey on Tuesday asked the Israeli ambassador to leave the country following indiscriminate violence and killings by Israeli soldiers along the Gaza border, diplomatic sources said.

The Foreign Ministry summoned Ambassador Eitan Naeh and told him it would be “appropriate” for him to return to his country “for a while”, said the sources, who refused to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

At least 60 Palestinian demonstrators were martyred and thousands more injured by Israeli forces.

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered on Gaza Strip’s eastern border since Monday morning to take part in protests aimed to commemorate the Nakba anniversary and protest relocating of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Since the border rallies began on March 30, more than 90 Palestinian demonstrators have been martyred by cross-border Israeli gunfire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The rallies are to culminate on Tuesday, the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment — an event Palestinians refer to as the “Nakba” or “the Catastrophe”.

Last week, the Israeli government said the ongoing border protests constituted a “state of war” in which international humanitarian law did not apply.

Erdogan says Israeli PM has ‘blood’ on his hands

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of having the “blood of Palestinians on his hands” following indiscriminate killings by Israeli forces in the besieged Gaza Strip.

“Netanyahu is the PM of an apartheid state that has occupied a defenseless people’s lands for 60+ yrs in violation of UN resolutions,” Erdogan tweeted.

“He has the blood of Palestinians on his hands and can’t cover up crimes by attacking Turkey. Want a lesson in humanity? Read the 10 commandments,” he added.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 61 Palestinian demonstrators have been martyred by cross-border Israeli gunfire in one of the deadliest single-day massacres in the country’s history.

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered on Gaza Strip’s eastern border since Monday morning to take part in protests aimed to commemorate the Nakba anniversary and protest relocating of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Since the border rallies began on March 30, more than 100 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed by cross-border Israeli gunfire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The rallies will culminate on Tuesday, the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment — an event Palestinians refer to as the “Nakba” or “the Catastrophe”.

Last week, the Israeli government said the ongoing border protests constituted a “state of war” in which international humanitarian law did not apply.

Turkish FM speaks with counterparts to discuss Gaza

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday spoke to numerous counterparts over the phone about the recent developments in Gaza.

Diplomatic sources said Cavusoglu spoke with the Jordanian, Indonesian, Iranian foreign ministers Ayman al-Safadi, Retno Marsudi, and Javad Zarif, as well as OIC Secretary General Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen.

Also on Tuesday, Cavusoglu held phone calls with his Qatari, Kazakh, Kuwaiti, and Afghan counterparts Mohamed Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani, Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Sabah al-Khalid al-Hamad al-Sabah, and Salahuddin Rabbani.