It’s mind-boggling trying to figure out how overt anti-Semitism has crept into the political discourse of some Turkish politicians to blame the Jews and Israel for everything that goes wrong in the country. 

While it’s not clear how this frenzy will come to an end, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government unfortunately continues to blame everyone else for the almost monthlong protests across the country except admitting their role in all of this. They now openly accused the Jewish Diaspora of playing a role in these protests. 

Speaking to reporters in Kirikkale on Monday, July 1, Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay claimed that the Jewish Diaspora was behind the Gezi Park protests. Only after reaction from all around, he backed out, and denied that he said a word making the linkage between the Jewish Diaspora and the protests. The video footage of his remarks, however, tells a different story.

“A news agency consciously misrepresented what I said regarding the Gezi Park events. I’m saddened,” Atalay said in a written statement today, July 3. “There is no indication of any blame toward the Jewish Diaspora or the Jews (in my remarks).”