Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a joint news conference ... more >The United Nations, the United States and Israel have all condemned Turkey’s prime minister for calling Zionism a “crime against humanity” during a recent U.N. assembly.
“As with Zionism, anti-Semitism and fascism, it is inevitable that Islamophobia be considered a crime against humanity,” said Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at a U.N. forum earlier this week, various media reported.
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Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the remarks “dark and mendacious,” in a BBC report. U.S. National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor called it “offensive and wrong.” And U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it was “unfortunate that such hurtful and divisive comments were uttered at a meeting being held under the theme of responsible leadership.”
Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Turkey leaders on Friday. Talk of his visit has been overshadowed by the prime minister’s statements, however.
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Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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