Not only PM Erdoğan, entire Turkey condemned Israel: President Gül

ANKARA

Derviş Eroğlu, the president of the Turkish Cypriots, awards President Gül with an order of state. (Ömer Bilge - NICOSIA)

Not only Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan but the whole of Turkey condemns the Israeli operation against Palestinians in Gaza, President Abdullah Gül has said.

“Not only Mr. Erdoğan, but all of us, the Turkish people, have condemned Israel’s attacks. Israel’s recent aggression and merciless killing of civilians in front of the world’s eyes are putting the [regional] vision in jeopardy,” Gül told reporters at a press conference with the president of the Turkish Cypriots, Derviş Eroğlu, in Nicosia on July 19.

Asked whether ongoing military agreements between Turkey and Israel would continue, Gül said he preferred not to speculate about the future of military or political relations.

Gül, Erdoğan, the Turkish Parliament, political parties and scores of non-governmental organizations have slammed the latest Israeli offensive.

The president is on his last foreign trip to northern Cyprus before his tenure ends on Aug. 28. He reiterated Turkey’s "pro-peace position" in Cyprus and recalled that Ankara was clearly supporting the current ongoing negotiation process between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots.

Gül is set to participate on July 20 in the 40th anniversary of the Turkish Armed Forces’ intervention on the island, which has been divided since 1974.