Turkish official fired over anti-Israel tweet

Turkish official fired over anti-Israel tweet

Turkey's ruling party dismisses member who tweeted that she wished that the Israelis wounded in Istanbul would die.

By Ben Ariel

A member of Turkey's ruling party who tweeted that she wished for all the Israelis who were wounded in the terrorist attack in Istanbul to die has been fired, Turkish media reported Saturday.

Irem Aktas, a member of the Justice and Development Party, posted a tweet after the attack, in which three Israelis were murdered and 10 wounded, reading, "I wish that the wounded Israeli tourists were dead."

She also wrote that "when Israel was attacking your Muslim brothers, why didn't you say anything."

Aktas deleted the account shortly after posting the tweets, but not in time to prevent a strong backlash over her lack of sympathy.

According to the Turkish Daily Sabah newspaper, the Justice and Development Party took the necessary steps to dismiss Aktas following her tweet.

Hatice Yücel, the chairwoman of the Women's Branch of the party in Istanbul's Eyüp district, to which Aktas belonged, tweeted Saturday that the district organization took the necessary steps to discharge her, and the views she shared on social media certainly does not reflect the party's views.  She also expressed her condolences to the victims of the attack and wished a quick recovery for the wounded.

According to the Daily Sabah, the tweet caused outrage not just in Israel but also on Turkish social media circles.

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu sent a letter of condolences to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu following the Istanbul attack.

"Today's attack in Istanbul has shown us once again that the international community as a whole should act in a resolute manner against the ignoble objectives of terrorist organizations,” the Turkish Prime Minister wrote to Netanyahu.

"I would like to convey my condolences to the families of the Israeli citizens who lost their lives in the heinous attack which happened in Istanbul and to the people of Israel, and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded," he added.