Ruling party politician in Turkey makes antisemitic remarks

A city council member from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has made antisemitic remarks, including praise for Adolf Hitler for killing Jews, to condemn a hospital strike in the Gaza Strip, Turkish Minute reported, citing the Onedio website.

Situated in the heart of Gaza, the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, managed by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, was hit on Tuesday evening when it was overflowing with Palestinians seeking refuge as a result of a series of Israeli aerial assaults throughout the heavily blockaded Gaza Strip.

The attack killed at least 500 people and injured hundreds, according to Palestinian officials.

While the health ministry in Gaza said the blast at the hospital was caused by an Israeli air raid, Israel has attributed the explosion to a misfired rocket launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) armed group. The PIJ has denied the allegation.

Süleyman Sezen, a city council member from the ruling AKP in Samsun’s Atakum district, blamed Israel for the hospital attack during Wednesday’s meeting, referring to it as a “terrorist state” and praising Hitler for killing Jews.

“One day you will curse me for every Jew I did not kill,” Sezen said, citing a quote attributed to Hitler.

Sezer said that while everyone has accused Hitler of being a racist, his statement about the Jews was indeed accurate.

“Today, I once again remember Hitler with gratitude because of the Zionist Israel that stirs up the world and the people [Jews] responsible for all evils,” the politician said.