Independent Palestine only way to pay debt to slain Palestinian children: Turkish President Erdogan

By Gizem Nisa Cebi, Zehra Nur Duz and Dilara Hamit

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday once again reiterated his call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, saying it is the only way to pay debt to slain Palestinian children.

"We all owe a debt to the murdered Palestinian children, and this debt can only be paid through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," President Erdogan told ambassadors in Ankara during an iftar, or the evening meal to break fast in the holy month of Ramadan.

The president said Türkiye will protect its Palestinian brothers, as it has done thus far, and will not back down.

"They cannot stop us from referring to the murderer as a murderer. Instead of attempting to conceal the truth of the genocide, Israeli leaders must answer for the babies who died in Gaza," he added.

More than 31,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas incursion, which killed 1,200 people and took around 250 as hostages.​​​​​​​

The military onslaught has led to mass destruction, displacement and shortages of necessities in the besieged territory, with children also dying of malnutrition and dehydration.

Israel also stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in 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.