Turkey recalls envoy to Israel, Erdogan holds Netanyahu responsible for Gaza civilians’ deaths

Turkey said on Saturday it was recalling its ambassador to Israel and breaking off contacts with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in protest at the bloodshed in Gaza.

The Turkish foreign ministry foreign said ambassador Sakir Ozkan Torunlar was being recalled for consultations "in view of the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in Gaza caused by the continuing attacks by Israel against civilians, and Israel's refusal (to accept) a ceasefire."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan separately told reporters that he held Netanyahu personally responsible for the growing civilian death toll in the Gaza Strip.

"Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off," Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying.

Erdogan said on Saturday that Turkey was not fully breaking off diplomatic relations with Israel.

"Completely severing ties is not possible, especially in international diplomacy," Erdogan said.

He said MIT intelligence agency chief Ibrahim Kalin was spearheading Turkey's efforts to try and mediate an end to the war.

"Ibrahim Kalin is talking to the Israeli side. Of course, he is also negotiating with Palestine and Hamas," Erdogan said.

But he said Netanyahu bore the primary responsibility for the violence and had "lost the support of his own citizens."

"What he needs to do is take a step back and stop this," Erdogan said.

Israel had earlier withdrawn all diplomats from Turkey and other regional countries as a security precaution.

The Israeli foreign ministry said last weekend it was "re-evaluating" its relations with Ankara because of Turkey's increasingly heated rhetoric about the Israel-Hamas war.

Israeli forces have encircled Gaza's largest city, trying to crush Hamas in retaliation for Oct.7 raids into Israel that officials say killed around 1,400 people - mostly civilians - and took some 240 people hostage.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says nearly 9,500 people - mostly women and children - have since been killed in Israeli strikes and the intensifying ground campaign.

Agence France-Presse