Türkiye responds to Israeli minister's criticism of President Erdogan's Hamas meeting in Istanbul
Foreign Ministry responds to Israeli minister's criticism of Erdogan meeting with Hamas leader, citing Israeli responsibility for the deaths of 35,000 Palestinians
Türkiye's Foreign Ministry responded to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz's criticism of President Erdoğan for hosting Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who has been accused of killing nearly 35,000 civilians and facing trial at the International Court of Justice for genocide, targeted President Erdoğan and Türkiye in his statement, saying, "You should be ashamed."
In response, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oncu Keceli said, "The ones who should be ashamed are the Israeli officials responsible for killing nearly 35,000 Palestinians, most of them children and women."
Keceli added, "Türkiye's priority is to end the massacre in Gaza and establish lasting peace in the region by establishing the state of Palestine."
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the following remarks were made:
"The Israeli officials, who should be ashamed, are those who have killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women. The efforts of the Israeli government members to change the agenda will not yield results.
Türkiye's priority is to ensure the end of the massacre in Gaza and the establishment of the Palestinian state for the establishment of permanent peace in our region. In this direction, we will continue to work and express the facts about the crimes committed by Israel."
The ruling AK Party Spokesperson Omer Celik also denounced the Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz for targeting President Erdogan.
"The impudent statement of the Israeli Foreign Minister targeting our President is nothing but an attempt by the Israeli government to cover up the massacres it has committed.
Child killers are hostile to any ceasefire and peace initiative. Therefore, we know that the politics led by our President for ceasefire and peace are targeted by these massacre networks. But no matter what they do, they have been condemned before humanity, and one day they will be held accountable before the law," Celik wrote on X.
Israel's ongoing Gaza onslaught: over 34,000 Palestinians killed, nearly 77,000 injured
Ankara has repeatedly slammed Israel’s incursion into Gaza amid its failed attempts to stop the conflict, which has roiled the Middle East since October 7 last year. Türkiye is one of Gaza’s main humanitarian aid partners, sending 45,000 tonnes of supplies and medicine to the region.
Israel has said it is preparing an offensive against the city of Rafah, where some 1.2 million Palestinians are taking shelter after fleeing the conflict in other parts of the enclave.
The recent reported Israeli attack on the Iranian province of Isfahan, following Iran’s direct attack on Israel, has only clouded hopes of a peace breakthrough in Gaza.
Flouting an International Court of Justice provisional ruling, Israel continues its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 77,000 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas which killed 1,139 people with dozens of captives held in Gaza.
The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Source: Newsroom
