Erdoğan warns 'circle is tightening around Netanyahu, massacre network'

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday said "circle is tightening around [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu and his massacre network" in wake of the International Criminal Court last week issuing arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes.

"I hope that Palestinians will attain salvation, peace and tranquility, oppressors will lose and Palestinian cause will prevail at end of these difficult days," Erdoğan said in remarks after a cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

Reaffirming Türkiye’s steadfast support for Palestine until the genocide stops and Gaza and Palestine are fully liberated, Erdoğan said that the country will stand by "our brothers with all our strength and all our resources."

"'Even if some insist on ignoring it, an extremely bloody and dangerous war has been going on right next to Türkiye for 14 months," he said, referring to Israel’s relentless offensive on Gaza, which has killed over 44,000 people since Oct. 2023.

Türkiye is doing much more for Palestine, Gaza and Lebanon than "what is visible, what is being talked about, what is seen in the media," the president emphasized.

In a landmark move, the International Criminal Court on Nov. 21 announced it had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over war crimes it accuses them of carrying out in Palestinian territories, including Gaza.

Israel and its allies denounced the International Criminal Court's decision, as Türkiye —and rights groups— welcomed the move.