ANKARA, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday slammed Israel over its offensive in Gaza and said it was a bid by the Israeli leadership to score points ahead of the general elections in February, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.
"I am telling Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to forget about the elections, because history will judge them for the black stain they are leaving on humanity," Erdogan was quoted as saying at the parliamentary group meeting of his ruling Justice & Development Party (AKP).
The Prime Minister renewed his call for Israel to put an end to its offensive, describing situation in Gaza as a "humanitarian plight."
The Jewish nation "has suffered much in history and should know best the sanctity of human life, especially that of women and children... and the importance of the culture of co-existence," he said.
The Islamist Hamas, which controls Gaza and whose rocket attacks on Israel triggered the current military operation, "has also made mistakes," Erdogan said, but insisted that the Israeli response was disproportionate.
He noted that his government aimed to construct a viable action plan to reach a permanent ceasefire, adding that he saw a common sense growing in the region after his talks with Middle East leaders.
"I have sent my special advisor to Syria to hold talks with President Nicholas Sarkozy of France, President Bashar al-Asad of Syria and Hamas officials. Foreign Minister Ali Bacaban has already left for the United States to meet with permanent and nonpermanent members of the UN Security council. We are trying to do our utmost in search for a cease-fire in the region."
Meanwhile, he called on the EU, UN, United States and the Organization for Islamic Conference to shoulder responsibility for Middle East peace.
Israel launched a massive air offensive on the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip on Dec. 27, and followed this with a ground invasion last Saturday night. The onslaught has resulted in the deaths of at least 580 Palestinians, including nearly 100 children, according to medics in the territory.
