Islamic world should increase efforts against Israel brutality: Erdoğan

ANKARA

The Islamic world should increase its efforts to stop the Israeli brutality against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, as Türkiye is ramping up its diplomatic push to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Erdoğan spoke with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the phone late on April 15 and discussed the latest developments in the region as well as the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.

According to a statement by the Communication Directorate, Erdoğan stressed that the Islamic world should increase its efforts in unity to stop Israel’s brutal attacks and hold Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity.

He also stated that it is of vital importance to immediately restrain Israel and act with common sense in order to prevent tensions from spreading across the region. The call followed Iranian retaliation on Israel over the weekend which triggered fears of a regional war between Israel and Iran.

Türkiye has been actively engaged with the United States to prevent further escalation in the region through an intense dialogue between Tehran and Washington.

 Foreign Minister due in Doha

As part of increased dialogue between Türkiye and Qatar, two regional powers, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay a one-day visit Doha on April 17, a written statement from the Foreign Ministry announced on April 16.

“Minister Fidan will meet with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Qatar, in Doha. During the meeting, bilateral relations as well as the situation in Palestine and regional developments will be discussed,” read the statement.

In Doha, Fidan is also expected to meet with senior Hamas officials and discuss the ongoing negotiations with Israel. Türkiye has long been urging all relevant actors to push for a ceasefire to avoid more casualties in Gaza and the spread of the conflict to the Middle East.

 Egypt’s top diplomat to visit Türkiye

In the meantime, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is expected to pay a visit to Türkiye to hold talks with Fidan this weekend, the diplomatic sources said. The talks will cover the Turkish-Egyptian bilateral ties, especially in the wake of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s planned visit to Türkiye in the coming weeks.

Fidan and Shoukry will also exchange views on the latest developments in the region and coordinate efforts to mitigate the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza.