ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday called on nations with influence over Israel not to “fall for (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s game.”
During a speech at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Youth Forum, he urged the international community to play its role to establish a ceasefire in the Middle East region.
“It is imperative that hands are taken off triggers in the Israel-Iran conflict before there is more destruction, blood, civilian casualties, and terrible disaster,” he said.
President Erdogan emphasised that the Islamic world is facing a particularly challenging period, with war, conflict, and instability casting a dark shadow over many Muslim regions.
He warned that both the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the escalating Israel-Iran conflict are dangerously nearing a point of no return.
Highlighting severe shortages in medical supplies and damage to most of the healthcare infrastructure in Gaza, he said Israel has carried out over 700 attacks on health facilities, killed nearly 1,000 healthcare workers, and imprisoned hundreds.
President Erdogan condemned the hypocrisy of those who, while turning Gaza into the world’s largest concentration camp, now speak of “war crimes,” calling such statements not only inconsistent but a display of shamelessness and audacity.
He noted that Gaza has endured one of the most disgraceful episodes of modern-day barbarism for the past 21 months. He highlighted the cruelty of Israeli forces targeting civilians, including those waiting in food distribution lines for a piece of bread or a bowl of soup.
Erdogan also praised the unwavering resilience of Gaza’s women, orphans, and the broader Palestinian community in the face of relentless oppression, offering prayers for their strength, safety, and divine protection.
The president said the Netanyahu government is primarily responsible for the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and those who stay silent in the face of these massacres are accomplices to this crime.
“Despite the Zionist lobby’s intimidation tactics against me and my government, we never wavered in our stance and never hesitated to stand by the oppressed,” Erdogan added.
He said that his stance has always been consistent in conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war, the conflict in Syria, tensions between Pakistan and India, and attacks against Iran.
“Today, we stand firmly in the same place. We support the oppressed and victims without discrimination. We say ‘peace,’ ‘diplomacy,’ ‘justice,’ and ‘freedom.’ We say, ‘Long live Free Palestine,’” he added.
Erdogan expressed hope that the meetings and consultations to be held during the two-day OIC forum would yield positive outcomes for youth, the Islamic world, and all humanity.
