VIDEO Erdogan to Merz in the middle of a press conference: “You, Germany, don't you see Israel's genocide in the Gaza Strip?”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Germany on Thursday for what he called ignorance of Israeli “genocide” and attacks in the Gaza Strip, during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Reuters reports.

Public tensions between the two NATO countries came to the fore during Merz's first visit to Turkey since he took over as federal chancellor.

Merz stated that his government has supported Israel since the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault and that, in his view, Israel exercised its right to self-defense.

“One decision would have been needed to avoid countless unnecessary casualties. Hamas should have released the hostages earlier and laid down their arms,” ​​the Berlin head of government said, adding that he hoped the war would come to an end with the US-brokered, Turkish-backed ceasefire deal.

Israel seeks to “suppress Gaza through genocide”, accuses Erdogan

Erdogan, one of the most vocal critics of Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip and a key player in the ceasefire negotiations, said he could not agree with Merz.

“Hamas doesn't have bombs or nuclear weapons, but Israel has them all and is using them to hit Gaza, for example with those bombs (launched) again last night,” Erdogan said.

“You, Germany, don't you see these things? You, Germany, don't you watch these things? In addition to striking the Gaza Strip, Israel has always sought to suppress it through starvation and genocide,” the Ankara leader continued.

“Don't you as Germany see this?”

Erdogan slams Germany for ignoring Israel's actions in Gaza. Turkish President Erdogan criticized Germany's Chancellor Merz during their press conference in Ankara on October 30, accusing Berlin of overlooking Israel's genocide in Palestine's… pic.twitter.com/NUbHpr2Oj3

— TRT World (@trtworld) October 30, 2025

A UN investigation has determined that Israel committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, arguing that the killings, siege and destruction were carried out with the intention of destroying the lives of Palestinians in the enclave. Several Israeli and international human rights organizations have reached the same conclusion.

Israel rejects the accusations of genocide, saying they are politically motivated. The military campaign, Israel also says, targets the militant group Hamas, not the civilian population of Gaza. Israel also says it is taking steps to reduce civilian casualties.

Merz has previously criticized Israel's actions in Gaza, and this year Germany suspended military exports to the area, citing the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

However, the German chancellor did not support the accusations of genocide, arguing that criticism of Israel must not become a pretext for anti-Semitism.

Erdogan also said Thursday that he still believes Germany and Turkey can work together to end the famine by ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

He also emphasized the potential of NATO allies to focus on joint projects in the defense industry and reiterated Ankara's desire to join the European Union.

Merz said he sees Turkey as a close partner of the EU and wants to develop bilateral economic relations, including in the transport and migration sectors.