“They taught us democracy for years, but we all saw how those who make these judgments behaved on the Gaza issue,” Erdoğan said during an event in the capital Ankara on Oct. 8.

Erdoğan has been a vocal supporter of pro-Palestinian rallies that erupted at U.S. colleges and later spread across Europe.

“The Zionist lobby has taken prestigious universities hostage. Protesters were dragged on the ground and subjected to police violence,” Erdoğan said. “Teachers were interrogated. Students were threatened that they would not be able to find a job in their lives. Western universities failed this test.”

Protests initially began at Columbia University in New York earlier this year, where demonstrators set up a «Gaza solidarity encampment.»

Tensions escalated on April 30 when police arrested hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters following rallies at the City College of New York.

Students and faculty held rallies, class walkouts and vigils to commemorate those who died in both Israel and Gaza. Demonstrations have since spread to several European countries, including Denmark, Finland, Spain and the U.K.