Turkish officials condemned the U.S. Congress members who gave several standing ovations to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his speech at a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol on Wednesday.
"The disgraceful reception given to an executive accused before the International Court of Justice for committing genocide in Gaza is worrying in terms of human values, international law and the future of democracy,” Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said in a statement he posted on X.
He continued by saying that Türkiye will continue to stand by humanitarian law and pledged solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş criticized the Congress’ warm welcome and called the lawmakers “accomplices.”
"A group that stood and applauded in defiance of all the gains humanity has made in the name of human rights, democracy, and justice, thereby endorsing those who are tried in international courts for atrocities, will be etched in humanity's memory as accomplices to such atrocities.”
Kurtulmuş added: “Shame on you.”
Dozens of Democratic lawmakers skipped Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, expressing dismay over Israel's massacre of almost 40,000 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, and the humanitarian crisis from Israel's attacks and blockade on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib held up a sign that read "Guilty of Genocide," "War criminal" as Netanyahu spoke to Congress.
Netanyahu, who is accused of war crimes and carrying out genocide in Gaza and made his fourth speech, broke the record for speech by a foreign leader to a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives, surpassing British wartime leader Winston Churchill, who made three.
Türkiye has been a virulent critic of Israel, has hosted Hamas leaders and welcomes the Palestinian resistance group as a liberation movement, unlike the majority of the Western world.
Ankara has called on the U.N. Security Council and the U.S. to exert pressure on Israel to accept a cease-fire proposal.
