ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday told US President Joe Biden that it is Washington’s “historical responsibility” to ensure a permanent truce in the Gaza Strip immediately.
According to Turkish media, President Erdogan and Biden held a telephone phone call to discuss Israel’s assaults on Gaza. The two sides also held discussion over bilateral ties, as well as Sweden’s NATO bid.
#BREAKING Turkish President Erdogan tells Biden human tragedy in Gaza should be stopped, warning prolongation of Israel's attacks may have 'negative consequences' in region pic.twitter.com/Acm6Cr6OPP
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) December 14, 2023
Erdogan said a truce could be achieved rapidly if Washington withdrew its “unconditional support” for Israel. President Erdogan told Joe Biden that the human tragedy in the Gaza Strip should be prevented, and warned that prolongation of Israel’s assaults could have “negative regional and international consequences.”
Washington has ‘ Responsibility’ to Ensure Truce in Gaza: Erdogan
He also underscored the need for the formation of a guarantor mechanism, as recommended by Ankara, to resolve the Israel-Palestine crisis. He also stressed that the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital city based on the 1967 borders is “the most appropriate and long-term solution.” The two sides also held talks on Ankara’s bid to buying F-16 fighter jets from the United States.
Since October, 7 Israel has bombarded Gaza from the air and land, imposed a siege and mounted a ground attack. Gaza Health Ministry said that more than 18,787 innocent Palestinian civilians mostly women and children have been killed and over 50,897 wounded in the Israeli attack.
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Israel also admitted its worst combat losses in more than a month in the war in the Gaza Strip, and confronted growing diplomatic isolation as civilian demises mounted and a humanitarian disaster worsened in the Palestinian territory.
Heavy fighting was under way in both in Gaza, a day following the UN General Assembly demanded an immediate humanitarian truce. Earlier, US President Joe Biden said Israel’s “indiscriminate” bombardment of civilians was costing global support.
Israel admitted 10 of its soldiers were killed in the past 24 hours, including a full colonel and a lieutenant-colonel in Gaza. Reuters reported that it was the worst one-day loss since fifteen soldiers were killed on October 31.
