ANKARA (AFP) – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday condemned Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip as “savagery” in a fresh attack on his country’s main regional ally.

“What reason can justify such savagery?” Erdogan said in a speech to his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party in parliament, slamming Israeli attacks on civilian targets.

He said the offensive, which has claimed more than 580 lives, including nearly 100 children, was a bid by the Israeli leadership to score points ahead of general elections in February.

Referring to the Israeli ministers of defense and foreign affairs, Erdogan said, “I am telling Ehud Barak and (Tzipi) Livni to forget about the elections, because history will judge them for the black stain they are leaving on humanity.” 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 coexistence,” 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 made a fresh appeal for an end to the offensive that began on December 27, saying it serves only “to sow the seeds of animosity and hatred.” Predominantly Muslim, non-Arab Turkey has been Israel’s main regional ally since 1996, when they signed a military cooperation deal.

But Turkey also has close ties with the Palestinians, whose cause enjoys widespread support in Turkey. Erdogan has harshly criticized Israel since the offensive began as he led intensive Turkish diplomatic efforts to hammer out a ceasefire.

A Turkish envoy was in Damascus yesterday for talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy – who is on a regional tour pushing for a ceasefire – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Hamas representatives, Erdogan said.