https://arab.news/p27ju
- 鈥淐onscientious students and academics including anti-Zionist Jews at some prestigious American universities are protesting the massacre (in Gaza),鈥� Erdogan told an event
- 鈥淭hese people are being subjected to violence, cruelty, suffering, and even torture for saying the massacre has to stop鈥�
ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan waded into the debate over US college campus protests on Thursday, saying authorities were displaying 鈥渃ruelty鈥� in clamping down on pro-Palestinian students and academics.
Demonstrations have spread on campuses across the United States over Israel鈥檚 conduct of the war in Gaza, prompting police crackdowns and arrests at some venues such as Columbia University in New York.
鈥淐onscientious students and academics including anti-Zionist Jews at some prestigious American universities are protesting the massacre (in Gaza),鈥� Erdogan told an event in Ankara.
鈥淭hese people are being subjected to violence, cruelty, suffering, and even torture for saying the massacre has to stop,鈥� he said, adding that university staff were being 鈥渟acked and lynched鈥� for supporting the Palestinians.
Turkiye, a NATO ally of the United States, has sharply criticized Israel鈥檚 assault on Gaza and what it calls the unconditional support it receives from Western countries.
The US is a top supplier of military aid to Israel and has shielded the country from critical United Nations votes.
鈥淭he limits of Western democracy are drawn by Israel鈥檚 interests,鈥� Erdogan said. 鈥淲hatever infringes on Israel鈥檚 interests is anti-democratic, antisemitic for them.鈥�
More than 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza during Israel鈥檚 nearly seven-month military offensive, Palestinian health officials say, after Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people and took 253 hostages during an Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies.