World Bulletin / News Desk

Due to the West and UN's silence over Israel's offensive on Gaza, the UN are partners with Israel in the bloodshed of every child killed in Gaza, said Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Prime Minister Erdogan, speaking at a Friday Iftar Dinner in Istanbul also attended by Palestine President Mahmood Abbas, said the UN is losing its legitimacy by remaining silent on Israeli brutality in Gaza.

“Four Christian countries and China dominate the UN Security Council as permanent members and pave a way for the bloodshed of Muslims and other oppressed people around the world. Even if four of them favor some resolution, the fifth one or two of them veto it and hence a joint agenda is run with these absurd games,” Erdogan said.

“Israel has been terrorizing Gaza, and carrying out genocide. It does not want a national consensus government between Fatah and Hamas, and does not want to see a united Palestine," Erdogan stated.

He said that all of the tyrants have been losers throughout history and Israel would also be the loser in the end.

Erdogan attacked Western governments for their lack of criticism of Israeli violence. “I believe tomorrow this approach will suffocate you,” he said.

Earlier in the day at another meeting in Bursa, Erdogan accused a “new alliance of crusaders” in a speech denouncing Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

“What kind of a right to defend itself is it that none of them – the Israelis – are being killed. Palestinians are the only ones who are being killed.

“They – the Israelis – are neither sincere nor honest. We are facing a new alliance of crusaders.”

Since early last week, Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip, home to some 1.8 million Palestinians, with crippling air and naval bombardments with the ostensible aim of halting rocket fire emanating from the strip.

On Thursday night, Israel began ground operations in the Gaza Strip, in anticipation of which thousands of troops had been called up in recent days.

Israel's military operation, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against Gaza in the last six years.

Over 300 people have been killed and around over 2,000 injured, some seriously, in the Israeli onslaught so far.

Erdogan slams Egypt's Sisi

Earlier Friday, Erdogan criticized Egyptian leader Abdal-Fattah al-Sisi and accused him of being another factor that blocked humanitarian aid to the embattled Gaza Strip. "Egypt, instructed by Israel, has blocked ways of humanitarian aid to Gaza... Sisi is a tyrant, as well," said Erdogan.

Pointing to Egypt's proposed ceasefire between Gaza-based Palestinian factions and Israel on Monday, Erdogan said it was all efforts to legitimize the regime in Egypt: "Egypt is not a party in this issue."

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry hit back at Erdogan's remarks, calling them "unacceptable."

"The [Turkish] premier's remarks are totally unacceptable and are not worthy from a leader of an ancient state like Turkey," Shoukry said during a press conference with visiting Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini.

Erdogan's remarks were "out of line with diplomatic rules that regulate leaders' talk…and failed to recognize the will of the Egyptian people who elected al-Sisi as president with a massive majority," the top Egyptian diplomat said.

"Erdogan should have rather worked to positively encourage all the concerned parties to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and save children and women instead of using the Palestinian blood this way," the Egyptian minister added.

Turkish Parliament issues condemnation of Gaza attack

A cross-party declaration condemning Israeli’s invasion of Gaza has been issued by the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Lawmakers from all parties signed the document on Friday. "We strongly condemn the ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza," the declaration said.

Demanding international action to put a ceasefire in place, it added: "We see the killing of children and women and innocent civilians as an unacceptable and inexcusable war crime."

Party chairmen Akif Hamzacebi, of the Republican People’s Party, Oktay Vural, of the Nationalist Movement Party, and Idrıs Bayulken, of the People's Democratic Party, asked for Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to keep the parliament members informed about further Israeli attacks.

Former culture minister and independent deputy Ertugrul Gunay said a committee of lawmakers should go to Gaza. He said: "Turkey should announce its solidarity with the Palestinians to the world."

On Thursday evening Israeli ground troops went into Gaza in the third major offensive in the last six years.

Friday’s declaration followed an earlier announcement by the Republican People’s Party and the Nationalist Movement Party strongly condemning the incursion, following more than a week of bombardment.

Turkey will call for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the UN Commission on Human Rights over the Israeli attack.

Nationalist deputy Ozcan Yeniceri called for Muslim countries to review commercial, economic and energy ties with Israel.