Photo: Depositphotos
Istanbul, 23 March 2025 – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul that Ankara is actively working at the diplomatic level to restore the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where fighting has resumed. This was reported by the Turkish news agency Anadolu.
Erdogan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of violating previous agreements and launching new attacks in the region. “The Zionist regime of Netanyahu, fed by blood and tears, violated the ceasefire last week and started genocide in Gaza again. The Zionist regime is deliberately killing children and women, ruthlessly shedding the blood of innocents. More than 700 of our brothers were killed in the attacks carried out by Israeli forces during the holy month of Ramadan,” the Turkish leader said.
The Turkish President also sharply criticised the international community, particularly Western countries, for their passivity and indifference to the events in Gaza. According to him, the situation in the region is an example of double standards: “When the Palestinians are the oppressed and Israel is the aggressor, the rhetoric immediately changes.” Erdogan stressed that none of those promoting the ideas of human rights and freedoms condemned the killing of babies, and the tragic images of children’s bodies laid out on cold concrete failed to awaken the world’s conscience.
The Turkish leader stressed that Ankara will continue to make efforts to establish justice and support all those oppressed. “Turkey sincerely sympathises with the suffering of the Palestinians and will not stop fighting for peace,” he added.
Erdogan’s speech reflects the position of Turkey, which traditionally supports the Palestinian side in the conflict and advocates an end to Israeli military operations in Gaza. These statements could increase tensions between Ankara and Jerusalem.
