Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has accused his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu of committing crimes comparable to those of the Islamist gunmen behind the Paris attacks that left 17 dead.
Davutoglu's comments risk inflaming a new row in the increasingly tense bilateral relationship after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted Netanyahu for "daring" to attend the weekend's anti-terror solidarity march in Paris after the attacks.
"Netanyahu has committed crimes against humanity the same as those terrorists who carried out the Paris massacre," he told reporters in Ankara in televised comments on Thursday.
Davutoglu meanwhile sniped that Netanyahu had looked "alone" at the Paris march against terrorism, where the Turkish and Israeli prime ministers had joined other world leaders in a show of solidarity.
The row comes on top of a controversy in Turkey over the publication of cartoons in the Turkish media showing the Prophet Mohammed from the first issue of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo since 12 people were killed at its offices in the attacks.
Davutoglu condemned the publication of cartoons of the Muslim prophet as an "open provocation", warning that Turkey would not tolerate insults against Mohammed.
"Freedom of the press does not mean freedom to insult," said Davutoglu.
"We do not allow any insult to the prophet in this country," he added.
Davutoglu said Netanyahu's "crimes against humanity" included the deadly 2010 Israeli assault on a Turkish aid vessel and last year's onslaught on Hamas-controlled Gaza.
The Israeli government declined to comment on Davutoglu's latest remarks.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had on Wednesday condemned Erdogan as a "anti-Semitic neighbourhood bully" and called on Europe to do more to fight against his rhetoric.
"The silence of those European states in the face of the repeated outbursts against Israel by Erdogan... contributes to the same murderous hatred of Jews in Europe," he said.
Davutoglu said he "would not even bother to answer Lieberman", adding Turkey had a proud record of hosting Jews dating back to giving sanctuary to those expelled from Spain in the 15th century.
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