Erdoğan, King Felipe VI of Spain discuss Gaza, bilateral ties

MADRID

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with King Felipe VI of Spain at the Royal Palace of Zarzuela in Madrid on Wednesday, discussing bilateral ties and global developments, including the ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip.

The meeting covered "Türkiye and Spain's relations, Israel's massacres in Gaza, and regional and global developments," according to a statement on X.

Erdoğan emphasized the urgent need to end the Israeli government's genocidal policies in Palestinian territories during the meeting, highlighting the significance of Spain's actions and support for Palestine.

Erdoğan expressed his belief that Türkiye and Spain's relations will deepen further, stating that expanding trade volume and cooperation in the defense industry will benefit both countries and that steps in every field will be taken.

Erdoğan also invited King Felipe to visit Türkiye "as soon as possible," the directorate said.

Erdoğan departed for Madrid on June 12 for a two-day visit to engage with Spanish leaders.

On June 13, he will hold discussions with Sanchez, with a primary focus on the recent escalation of violence in Gaza.

Media reports said Erdoğan plans to express his appreciation for Spain's recent official recognition of Palestine as a state.

The agenda for Erdoğan's meeting with Sanchez includes discussions on establishing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, facilitating humanitarian aid to the region and addressing the ongoing genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Both Türkiye and Spain have announced their decision to join the suit filed by South Africa at the U.N.'s top court.

In addition to the Gaza crisis, the leaders will explore broader global developments and bilateral relations. Erdoğan and Sanchez will co-chair the eighth intergovernmental summit between Türkiye and Spain, where several deals in trade, finance, culture and sports are expected to be signed.

Erdoğan is also slated to attend the opening of a business forum aimed at enhancing commercial cooperation between Turkish and Spanish enterprises. The forum will include panels on finance, green transformation, energy, infrastructure and transportation.

Following his visit to Spain, Erdoğan will travel to Italy to participate in the G-7 summit in Bari on June 14. There, he is expected to engage in bilateral meetings with other world leaders to further discuss the situation in Gaza and efforts to halt Israeli attacks.

The summit, hosted by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, will feature U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

EU Council leader Charles Michel, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, Pope Francis, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and leaders from South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will also be in attendance.

Meanwhile, a memorandum published in Türkiye's Official Gazette has designated Vice President Fuat Oktay as acting president during Erdoğan's three-day European tour.

Looking ahead, Erdoğan will attend the NATO summit in Washington from July 9 to 11, where he will meet with various heads of state and government, including Biden.