Erdogan celebrates Hanukkah

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has often spoken out against Israel since the beginning of the war, issued Hanukkah greetings to the Jewish citizens of Turkey.

"I congratulate our Jewish citizens, who are an integral part of our society, on the Hanukkah holiday, and wish them health," he said in a statement. 

Erdogan last month called Israel a "terrorist state" that "commits genocide in Gaza," and said that Hamas is "the party that won the elections in Palestine."

Following is the message President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued on the occasion of Hanukkah:

“On the occasion of Hanukkah, I congratulate our citizens of Jewish faith.

The understanding of tolerance, which rejects all forms of discrimination on the basis of language, belief and race, is one of the most valuable legacies of our deep-rooted history and civilization.

Amid rising intolerance towards different beliefs and identities in various parts of the world, we attach great importance to protecting these values by standing against all forms of discrimination.

The freedom of all our citizens to practice their beliefs will continue to be under the guarantee of our state today and tomorrow as it was yesterday.

With these thoughts, I congratulate our Jewish citizens, who are an inseparable part of our society, on Hanukkah and wish them well-being.”