On Saturday, October 28, in front of several hundred thousand people gathered on the tarmac of Istanbul's old Atatürk airport, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was wearing his favorite outfit, that of a champion of the Palestinian cause and the Arab street. On the eve of the centenary of the Turkish Republic, with a traditional checkered scarf around his neck, a microphone in hand, and no notes, the head of state spent almost 50 minutes relentlessly accusing the West of being "the main culprit behind the massacres in Gaza," and Israel of committing "war crimes."

His tone and stance echoed those he had adopted at the 2009 Davos Forum, where, after weeks of negotiations in the region, he turned the tables with his "angry outburst" against Shimon Peres, following the launch by the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) of Operation Cast Lead against Hamas.

After recalling the reach of the Ottoman Empire and the fact that "Gaza was [then] an integral part of the homeland," Erdogan reiterated that Hamas "was not a terrorist organization." "When I said that, Israel was upset," said the Turkish president. "I knew that, and I said it knowingly."

In typical fashion, asking to then answer his own questions, the president made a point of calling on Western capitals and Israeli leaders: "What was the situation like in 1947 [just before the creation of the State of Israel in 1948]? How did you get here? You're an invader. The West owes you, but Turkey owes you nothing, which is why we're talking to you like this. Western countries pay visits to you and ask your forgiveness. We are on the side of the oppressed." Erdogan added: "The main culprits of the massacres in Gaza are the Westerners. With the exception of a few consciences who raised their voices, [these] massacres are totally the work of the West."

His tone turning more serious, he said: "You mourned the civilians killed in Ukraine, so why this silence in the face of the children killed in Gaza? Oh, West: Do you want to create new conditions for crusades against the Crescent?" − referring to the symPMbol of the Muslim religion. "Everyone knows that Israel can't take a step without [the West]," he said, reproaching the major Western powers for not having called for a ceasefire.

Claiming that the rally was being attended by 1.5 million people, he said: "Israel, we declare you a war criminal before the whole world. You are the occupier, you are the invader." And then this: "Of course, every country has the right to defend itself, but where is the justice? What is happening in Gaza is not self-defense, but a massacre." In conclusion, he said: "Israel's oppression will surely come to an end one day. Turkey will be the hope of the oppressed, just as it was for 500 years and during the Second World War."

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