Turkish leaders including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed Israel and its supporters for what they said was international media hostility to the country's ruling party, according to a report this week by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Responding to the endorsement of the opposition CHP party by Britain's The Economist ahead of Sunday's parliamentary elections, Erdogan was quoted as saying, "This international media, as they are supported by Israel, would not be happy with the continuation of the AKP government.”
An opinion piece in Thursday's Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review says, "According to EU Minister Egemen Bağış, the criticism of the AKP is the work of “dark elites who control international media.” It says "...three other AKP ministers directly blamed Israel for the international press criticism over Mr Erdoğan’s now-too-visible autocratic rhetoric and behavior."