Turkey Labels Israel a 'Terrorist State'

ISTANBUL—Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of being a "terrorist state" on Monday and criticized world powers for supporting the weeklong bombardment of Gaza that has killed more some 115 people, signaling that the three-year-old rift between the countries is deepening. Speaking in Istanbul shortly after returning from Cairo, where he held emergency talks on Gaza with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, Mr. Erdogan railed against what he called Western powers' failure to take concerted action to stop bloodshed in Syria. But harsher words were aimed at one-time ally Israel.

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Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seen here in Cairo on Sunday.

"Those who speak of Muslims and terror side by side are turning a blind eye when Muslims are massacred en masse," he told a gathering of the Eurasian Islamic Council. "Those who turn a blind eye to discrimination toward Muslims in their own countries, are also closing their eyes to the savage massacre of innocent children in Gaza. … Therefore, I say Israel is a terrorist state."

The comments mark a recent low in relations between Turkey and Israel, which have been strained since Israel's 2008 offensive in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

Conflict in Gaza Strip, Israel

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Suhaib Salem /Reuters

Palestinians evacuated a wounded man after an Israeli airstrike targeted a building that houses international-media offices in Gaza City Monday.

Doctors warn that an escalation in the fighting between Israel and Hamas could overwhelm Gaza's hospitals. WSJ's Matt Bradley reports.

Mr. Erdogan's latest comments appear to pour cold water on the prospect of a thaw in relations between Washington's two top allies in the region. Recent reports in the Turkish media suggested that the two sides were making headway on repairing ties, although these reports were denied by Turkey's cabinet ministers.

Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, stepped up its diplomatic involvement in the Gaza conflict over the weekend, when Mr. Erdogan visited Cairo to help Egypt's Mr. Morsi push negotiations for a cease-fire. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu plans to travel to Gaza on Tuesday with a group of foreign ministers from the Arab League, Turkey's state news agency Anadolu reported on Sunday.

In a veiled criticism of U.S. President Barack Obama—who on Sunday reiterated his support for Israel's right to defend itself against Palestinian rocket fire—Mr. Erdogan said it was unfair to cite Israel's right to defend itself to justify Israeli attacks, arguing that Israel is the aggressor.

On Sunday, President Obama reiterated his support for Israel's right to defend itself against Palestinian rocket fire.

Israel says its military action against Gaza is a response to Hamas-fired rockets, which in recent days have been fired as far as Tel Aviv. One of these was struck down by Israel's Iron Dome defense system, with parts falling into the city and setting a car ablaze, in the first such damage on Israel's largest metropolitan area since the 1991 Gulf War.

Turkey's prime minister also criticized the United Nations, which called on Israel and Hamas to work with Egypt to achieve a cease-fire in the conflict. "I'm asked how much I trust the U.N. I don't trust it," Mr. Erdogan said, urging once again to reform the world body to make the Security Council more inclusive and effective in stopping bloodshed world-wide.

source —Laurence Norman in Brussels contributed to this article.

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