New York – Ranking Member Eliot Engel, the senior Democratic member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement regarding today’s accusation by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan that Israel has played a role in the recent events in Egypt.

“I am outraged by statements attributed to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan falsely accusing Israel of playing a role in recent events in Egypt. If accurately reported, such groundless accusations serve only to fan regional tensions and stoke offensive anti-Jewish canards. This comes at a time when we all should be focusing on finding solutions to end the tragic violence in Egypt, stop the bloodshed in Syria, and reach peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

This is just the latest in a string of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic statements attributed to Prime Minister Erdogan. I find his willingness to blame events in Egypt on Israel deeply disturbing and a continuation of his unwillingness to reconcile with the Jewish state. As a NATO ally and regional power, Prime Minister Erdogan’s insinuations against Israel are all the more reckless – particularly in light of the crackdown he launched against protesters in Istanbul earlier this year.”

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Prime Minister Erdogan’s comments can be read here