Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday continued to attack US President Donald Trump over his recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, accusing Trump of resorting to "bully boy" tactics, AFP reports.
"Unfortunately, Trump is behaving like a bully boy," Erdogan was quoted as having told Turkey’s A Haber television during an interview.
"He did the same on Jerusalem," added the Turkish President.
On Monday, Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty of the Golan Heights, an area liberated by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War.
"How can you do this despite the United Nations?" Erdogan said on Wednesday. "What are you doing? Being at the helm of a state like the US does not give you such a right."
"America has preferred to escalate tensions ... rather than contribute to peace," he charged.
The comments mark the third time that Erdogan has blasted Trump over his Golan Heights move.
On Sunday, he announced that Turkey will take the issue of the Golan Heights to the United Nations, claiming Trump’s statement on the Golan Heights was a “gift” to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ahead of the elections in Israel.
Last Friday, Erdogan warned that Trump’s move would destabilize the Middle East and lead to “a new crisis” in the region.
A day earlier, hours after Trump announced his plan to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu wrote that the recognition would lead to “new violence” and “pain”.