Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said that Ankara supports Donald Trump's mediation efforts, continues push for regional peace and stronger NATO defence ties.
Erdogan said that his country welcomes the newly declared ceasefire between Iran and Israel, adding that he expects both sides to “fully comply with my friend (US President Donald) Trump’s call unconditionally”.
In remarks following a NATO summit in The Hague, Erdogan confirmed that his country had been involved in intense diplomatic efforts from the onset of the recent military hostilities between Israel and Iran, which he said “posed serious risks to the region”.
According to TRT Global, he reiterated Ankara’s belief that “lasting solutions with Iran are only possible through diplomacy and dialogue”, emphasising that “our region is full of examples showing that war and destruction lead to nowhere”.
Erdogan said Turkey “hopes the ceasefire will be transformed into lasting calm”, stressing that “everyone needs to shoulder responsibility to achieve peace in the Middle East”.
Besides, the Turkish president strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing military assault in Gaza, warning that the humanitarian crisis was spiralling into a catastrophe.
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“Palestinians have been targeted for last three years,” Erdogan said. He said Israeli attacks have killed over 56,000 Palestinians so far, “most of them women and children”, adding that “80 per cent of Gaza has been destroyed”.
Erdogan said the Israeli government was deliberately blocking aid into the besieged territory.
Calling on the international community, the Turkish president said, “Anyone with an iota of conscience cannot remain silent to this. I'd like to call out to everyone who attaches importance to human life to raise their voices against this oppression.”
He further warned that Israel's actions were destabilising not just Gaza, but the wider Middle East. "Israel is destabilising the region, and by doing that they're also undermining the security of their own people," Erdogan said.