Erdoğan says Israel 'cannot get away with war crimes' in Gaza

DOHA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza, declaring that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration "will not get away with it."

In an address at the Gulf Cooperation Council's fourth summit in the Qatari capital Doha on Dec. 5, Erdoğan expressed disappointment that the humanitarian pause did not result in a permanent ceasefire.

"The Netanyahu administration is jeopardizing the security and future of our entire region for the sake of its political longevity," he stated.

Erdoğan decried the deaths of 17,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, in Israeli attacks as "crimes against humanity and war crimes," emphasizing that Israel "must not get away with these crimes."

"Our priority is the immediate declaration of a permanent ceasefire and the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid," he stated, expressing Türkiye's readiness to assume responsibility alongside regional countries as guarantors.

Commending Qatar's efforts to secure a short-term truce in Gaza and facilitate hostage and prisoner swaps, Erdoğan pledged Türkiye's commitment to advancing close contact and strategic cooperation with the Gulf region.

The president's speech followed the signing of a joint statement and 12 agreements with Qatar spanning various fields.

Among the significant ones were a memorandum of understanding on political consultations, a cooperation agreement in the military framework and increased financial cooperation between relevant ministries.

Furthermore, there were commitments to promote investment between Türkiye's presidential investment office and Qatar's Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Scientific and strategic cooperation was also addressed through agreements between Türkiye's Industry and Technology Ministry and Qatar's Hamad bin Khalifa University. Additional memoranda of understanding focused on cooperation with the Qatari Communications and Information Technology Ministry.

Notably, the protocol signed on the establishment of Turkish language teaching centers demonstrated efforts by the Turkish ministry and Qatar's Lusail University to enhance educational ties. The agreements also encompassed cooperation between ministries of culture and civil society, particularly in the field of humanitarian and charitable aid.