Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of committing “genocide” in the Gaza Strip in its counterterrorism operation against the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group. Hamas had launched the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, murdering 1,200 Israelis, wounding thousands, and kidnapping more than 240 hostages. Erdogan, whose country has been hosting and supporting some of the leaders of Hamas, threatened that Israel will “eventually pay the price for this genocide.” He added: “There will be no peace in the world without accountability for the genocide in Gaza.”
Erdogan is currently facing the same charges he has leveled against Israel. The only difference is that many in the world are silent when Turkey targets the Kurds in Syria and Iraq, but continue to protest against Israel for defending itself against Hamas murderers and rapists responsible for the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
On October 23, Turkey’s Ministry of Defense announced that Turkish Air Force jets struck Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria in response to an attack on a Turkish aerospace and defense company near Ankara. The Turkish authorities believe that Kurdish militants set off explosives and opened fire at the company, killing five people and injuring more than a dozen others.
Note what Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said after the terrorist attack in Ankara: “We will pursue them [the Kurdish militants] until the last terrorist is eliminated.” This statement sounds exactly like those made by Israeli officials immediately after the October 7 Hamas-led atrocities against Israel. Eliminating terrorists is good thing, but how come it does not apply to Israel?
If Turkey has the right to respond to a terrorist attack by bombing dozens of targets belonging to Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria, why is Israel being condemned for responding to the October 7 Hamas-led atrocities against its own citizens? Just because of the “two-state solution”: Michigan and Minnesota?
Over the years, the Turks have killed hundreds of thousands of Kurds. Yet, we have not seen a single encampment at a US university protesting Turkey’s actions.
“In the past decades, the Fascist Turkish government has killed hundreds of thousands of Kurdish civilians in Turkey, Iraq and Syria,” said prominent Kurdish journalist Suzan Quitaz.
“Nothing but silence from the United Nations and the hypocrite international community on Turkey’s war crimes and genocide against the Kurdish people. Silence also from the so-called ‘Peace loving’ Woke & their Islamist Hamas supporters who been marching in support for Hamas terrorists in Europe and America calling for the inhalation of state of Israel. Guess, NO JEWS NO NEWS!”
Kurdish researcher Hemdad Mehristani commented on the Turkish military strikes against the Kurds:
“Turkey is bombing and massacring Kurds tonight. No protests, no marches, no media coverage, no condemnations from UN, no ICC arrest warrants for Erdogan. Since 1914 Turkey has killed over 1.5 million Kurds. Stop Kurdish genocide.”
Diliman Abdulkader, a foreign policy expert and director of the Kurdistan Project for the Endowment for Middle East Truth, sarcastically remarked:
“We demand an immediate ceasefire and a Two-State Solution, the Kurds deserve to live in peace and should no longer have to deal with Turkish terrorism. Turkey must be held accountable!”
Abdulkader was referring to recurring calls by the Biden administration and other Western governments and leaders for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the creation of a Palestinian terror state next to Israel.
In another post on X (formerly Twitter), Abdulkader wrote:
“Earth to the far-left! Turkey is bombing the Kurds, where is your call for a two-state solution?? How about a ceasefire??
Where’s our so-called Muslim ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’?? Muslim Turkey is killing Muslim Kurds, why the silence?? Y’all are holding mass demonstrations and occupying college campuses tomorrow against Turkey’s genocide of the Kurds right?? Oh my bad, it’s only fashionable to speak against Israel. No Jews No News.”
Hawzhin Azeez, a Kurdish academic and poet, wrote:
“Turkey promotes itself as a defender of Palestinian rights but indiscriminately bombs Kurds across Syria and Iraq and the world is not only silent but sees Turkey as a hero.”
A social media influencer called ShantiZulu wrote:
“Where are you when a @NATO Member, Turkey is commiting a real genocide against the Kurds? 30 million+ defenceless people being bombed by Turkey into non existence . Where are you? Why are you so quiet? Why do you not care when they are being massacred? Why are they not worthy of protection under the LAW? SHAME ON YOU”
There is an Islamic hadith (saying of the prophet Mohammed) that says:
“Asma bint Yazid narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: it is not lawful to lie except in three cases: Something the man tells his wife to please her, to lie during war, and to lie in order to bring peace between the people.”
Erdogan, who is perpetrating crimes against his fellow Muslims in Syria and Iraq, appears to be acting in line with the same hadith. Not only is Erdogan lying when he accuses Israel of “genocide,” but he is also proving that he is a big hypocrite. If he is really worried about the safety of the Muslims in the Gaza Strip, why does he continue to support Hamas, while denying Israel the right to defend itself against Islamist terrorism? If he believes that he has the right to bomb Kurdish militants in Syria and Iraq, why is he denouncing Israel for taking the same action against Palestinian Islamist terrorists?
The complicit silence of the anti-Israel groups on US university campuses towards Turkey’s crimes is simply evidence of a staggering racism and hypocrisy.
Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. His work is made possible through the generous donation of a couple of donors who wished to remain anonymous. Gatestone is most grateful.
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