Erdoğan praises Spanish PM for stance on Gaza

MADRID

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has commended Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for his stance on the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

"I applaud my dear friend, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, for his stance on Gaza, on behalf of myself and my nation," Erdoğan said during a business forum in the Spanish capital Madrid.

The president said Sanchez "has been etched in the hearts of our Palestinian brothers."

Erdoğan was in Spain for an official visit to attend the eighth intergovernmental summit between the two nations, which resulted in the signing of several agreements across various fields.

"The genocide that has been going on in Gaza for 250 days hurts everyone with conscience," Erdoğan stated at the forum, which Sanchez also attended.

He criticized Israel's "spoiled attitude," accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of "responding to calls for a ceasefire by shedding blood."

"No country with a conscience can accept this," Erdoğan added.

Erdoğan also addressed Türkiye's relations with the European Union, expressing frustration over the lack of progress on updating the customs union and the stringent visa requirements imposed on Turkish businesspeople.

The president argued that these issues hinder the full potential of the cooperation between Türkiye and the bloc.

Over 37,200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since last October, most of them women and children, and more than 84,900 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Following the forum, Erdoğan was officially welcomed at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, where he held a meeting with Sanchez.

The discussions focused 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 intention to join the suit filed by South Africa at the U.N.'s top court.

In addition, Erdoğan and Sanchez explored broader global developments and bilateral relations between their countries.

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.