Turkey on Monday condemned what it said were “disproportionate” Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, insisting that a recent reconciliation pact doesn’t preclude it from speaking out against the country’s actions.
Israel responded hours later, calling Turkey’s condemnation “baseless” and vowing to defend its civilians.
The Israeli military carried out a series of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip late Sunday.
“The fact that our ties with Israel have normalized does not mean that we will remain silent in the face of such attacks that target the Palestinian people,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“On the contrary, we will continue to (defend) the Palestinian cause,” it said, calling Israel’s actions “against international laws and especially against consciences.”
