As Gaza struggles under the weight of destruction and blockade, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of deliberately undermining the ceasefire with Hamas. Speaking at the TRT World Forum in Istanbul, Erdogan claimed that while the Palestinian group had honored the truce, Israel continued to look for reasons to resume attacks.
“Everyone knows Israel’s terrible record when it comes to keeping its promises,” Erdogan said, pointing to the extensive devastation across Gaza, where “hardly a single building remains intact.”
He described the bombings of schools, mosques, churches, and hospitals as evidence of Israel’s disregard for human life. “They say ‘Israel is innocent,’ how so?” he asked.
The Turkish leader further noted that Israel’s nuclear capability and military dominance invalidate any claims of self-defense, saying, “How can it be innocent?” Erdogan also accused Israel of using hunger as a “deadly weapon,” particularly targeting children in the enclave.
Highlighting the human toll on journalists, he said, “Against Israel’s propaganda machine built on lies, 270 journalists exposing Tel Aviv’s false propaganda, showing truth on the ground were killed.”
Erdogan also criticized international institutions tasked with maintaining peace, saying they have “failed to stop massacres, prevent genocide, and save children’s lives.”
Reflecting on global instability, he argued that despite two decades of communication advancements, “if children continue to die from Asia to Africa, we all have an obligation to question ourselves.”
Touching briefly on other conflicts, Erdogan suggested that a “middle ground will soon be found” in the Russia-Ukraine war and condemned atrocities in Sudan’s El Fasher, calling for stronger international accountability.
Erdogan’s remarks underscore Turkey’s continued criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and its frustration with global institutions seen as complicit through inaction.