Israel an occupier, Hamas not a terrorist organisation, Turkey's Erdogan repeats

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told a massive pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul that Israel was an occupier while repeating his stance about Hamas not being a terrorist organisation.

"I reiterate that Hamas is not a terrorist organisation. Israel was very offended by this. (...) Israel is an occupier, Erdogan speaks clearly because Turkey does not owe you anything," he told hundreds of thousands of supporters.

Calling Western powers "the main culprit" behind the Israeli army's "massacre" of Palestinians in Gaza, Tayyip Erdogan said, "The main culprit behind the massacre unfolding in Gaza is the West."

Earlier, Turkey's president had said that Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people while speaking to lawmakers from his ruling AK Party. Calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israeli and Palestinian forces, Erdogan said, "Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, 'mujahideen' waging a battle to protect its lands and people. Western tears shed for Israel are a manifestation of fraud."

Following his remarks, Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini said that they were "grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation".

"I will propose to my colleague (Foreign Minister Antonio) Tajani to send a formal protest and to summon the Turkish Ambassador," Matteo Salvini said.

Tel Aviv rejected Tayyip Erdogan's assertion saying that, "Israel wholeheartedly rejects the Turkish president's harsh words about the terrorist organization Hamas. Even the Turkish president's attempt to defend the terrorist organization and his inciting words will not change the horrors that the whole world has seen."