Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a stern warning at a summit of Persian Gulf countries in Doha, expressing concern that Israel’s military operations in Gaza pose a significant threat to the entire region. Erdogan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration of using the military intervention in Gaza as a means to prolong its political tenure.
“The Netanyahu administration is committing crimes against humanity, war crimes, in a bid to extend its political life while putting the security of our entire region in danger,” Erdogan stated during the summit, emphasizing the severe toll of the conflict, with around 17,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, reportedly killed in Israeli military operations.
Erdogan revealed that Turkey has dispatched two planes and two civilian ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, with a focus on transporting the sick and wounded to Turkey for medical treatment. The Turkish president underscored Ankara’s top priorities, including securing an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, facilitating long-term peace, ensuring unimpeded humanitarian aid deliveries to the region, and addressing the Palestinian issue based on the two-state principle.
“Recent developments only confirm the need to create an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with its capital in Eastern Jerusalem,” Erdogan asserted. He further emphasized the critical importance of preventing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from escalating into a broader war that could engulf neighboring Syria. “We cannot allow the Gaza massacre to expand into a war that will engulf Syria,” Erdogan warned, highlighting the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to mitigate the regional implications of the ongoing crisis.
