Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told US Secretary of State John Kerry that the latest declarations of Turkish Prime Minister were ‘’anti-Semitic.’’
On Saturday, RecepTayyip Erdogan accused Israel of having "surpassed Hitler in barbarism" through its attacks on Gaza.
Speaking at a presidential election campaign rally, Erdogan said the "terrorist state Israel has attacked Gaza once again, hitting innocent children who were playing on a beach." President elections are due on August 10.
The crowd frequently interrupted Erdogan's speech by chanting "Down with Israel."
"They always curse at Hitler, but they now even exceed him in barbarism. Some Americans ask why Mr. Prime Minister Erdogan makes such comparisons with Hitler. What's that to you? You're America, what's Hitler got to do with you," he said.
But Erdogan did warn his supporters against taking their anger out on the country's Jewish population. "I don't approve of any (bad) attitude towards our Jewish citizens in Turkey, despite all this. Why? They are the citizens of this country," he said. Around 17,000 Jews live in Turkey.
Earlier this month, Erdogan accused Israel of attempting “systematic genocide” against the Palestinians in Gaza and likened a member of the Israeli parliament, Ayelet Shaked, to Hitler.
Turkish media reported an explosion of pro-Hitler tweets and some liberal Turks reacted with outrage on Twitter when a pro-government newspaper printed a Hitler-themed crossword.
On Friday U.S. lawmaker Eliot Engel urged Erdogan to act after the same newspaper, Yenit Akit, published an open letter calling on Turkish Jews to apologise for civilian casualties in Gaza.
“The disgusting letter published by the Turkish newspaper Yeni Akit has no place in any society and only serves to put innocent lives in danger," Engel, the leading Democrat on the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, said in a statement.
Israe’s foreign ministry has recalled the families of diplomats in Ankara and Istanbul following violent protests outside the embassy and consulate in those cities Thursday night.
Israel also decided to further reduce its diplomatic entourage in Turkey, which is already small following Turkey's expulsion of Israel's ambassador following the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident.
Rocks were thrown at the embassy and windows broken during the Thursday night protests, which followed Erdogan's “systematic genocide” comment.
In one incident the Israeli flag was ripped down from the ambassador's residence in Ankara, and replaced with a Palestinian one.