Israel will one day pay the price for the atrocities: Erdoğan
ANKARA
Israel will one day pay the price for the atrocities it is committing against the Palestinians in Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, urging once again for a ceasefire and uninterrupted flow of humanitarian assistance to the civilians stranded in the enclave.
Erdoğan hosted Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh and his delegation that included Khaleed Meshal over the weekend. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) head İbrahim Kalın attended the meeting along with some other Turkish officials.
According to a statement by the Communications Directorate, the meeting addressed the continued Israel’s attacks on Palestinian territories and what needs to be done to ensure adequate and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a fair and lasting peace process in the region.
Erdoğan urged a permanent ceasefire and underlined that “Türkiye continues its diplomatic efforts to draw the attention of the international community to the atrocities inflicted on the Palestinians.”
“Pointing out that all the efforts are exerted to establish the independent State of Palestine, which is the key to regional peace, for bringing permanent peace to the region, Erdoğan expressed that Israel will one day pay the price for the atrocities it imposes on the Palestinians and that Türkiye will continue to speak out about the massacres in Gaza on every occasion,” read the statement.
The Turkish president emphasized the importance of the unity of Palestinians, referring to unaccomplished talks between Hamas and al Fetih groups to form a unity government, and stressed that this would be “the most robust response to Israel and the way to victory go through unity and integrity.”
During the meeting, Erdoğan also noted that Türkiye’s humanitarian aid to Palestine continues to relieve suffering to a certain extent, that more than 45,000 tons of humanitarian aid have been delivered to the region to date and that a number of sanctions, including restrictions on trade, have been implemented against Israel.
Haniyeh: We are proud of Erdoğan’s statements
Haniyeh, in a televised interview following the meeting, elaborated his talks with Erdoğan and provided information about the Palestinian resistance against the Israeli brutality.
On a question about Erdoğan’s likening Hamas’ resistance in Gaza with the Turkish Independence War, Haniyeh said he felt proud of this as it demonstrates the Turkish public opinion’s approach towards the Palestinian cause.
Hamas’ political leader, on a question, described Türkiye’s decision to restrict trade with Israel as a step in the right direction. “We are aware that decisions taken to restrict trade with Israel and these restrictions will affect most of the trade with Israel,” he said. Haniyye also stressed that Hamas will resist strongly against a potential Israeli attack on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Egyptian top diplomat in Istanbul
Erdoğan also met Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Istanbul after the latter’s meeting with the Turkish top diplomat.
The meeting addressed Turkish-Egyptian bilateral relations, developments regarding Israel’s attacks on Gaza, as well as global and regional issues.
During the meeting, Erdoğan stated that the risk of tension and conflicts spreading to the region exists as Israel's attacks against the Palestinian people continue, said a statement by the Communications Directorate.
“Stating the importance of reducing the Israel-Iran tension in order to prevent the entire region from falling into a spiral of conflict, President Erdoğan noted that it is essential for Islamic countries to work together to this end,” read the statement.
