By Faruk Zorlu and Alperen Aktas
ANKARA (AA) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday reaffirmed his condemnation of Israel's "barbarism" against Palestinians.
"For the past 151 days, we have been witnessing one of the greatest barbarities of the last century," Erdogan said in a joint news conference with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in the Turkish capital Ankara.
Accusing the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing "blatant genocide against Palestinians," Erdogan said this was happening with "unlimited support from Western powers."
"Netanyahu and his accomplices in murder will surely be held accountable for every drop of blood spilled before the law and public conscience," asserted the Turkish leader.
He also criticized the actions of Israeli settlers in occupied Palestinian territories, who he said "encroach on lands belonging to Palestinians, are one of the biggest obstacles to a solution."
Denouncing "completely absurd" demands made by "radical Israeli politicians" to restrict Muslims' access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, he emphasized the importance of maintaining access to religious sites for all faiths.
Erdogan also rebuked Israel's attempts to discredit the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), stating firmly that attempts by Tel Aviv to discredit the agency with "lies and slander" should not be given credence. 1The agency's existence should not be undermined," he added.
Several countries, including the US, Britain, Germany and Canada, announced the suspension of funding for UNRWA due to suspected links with the Palestinian movement Hamas.
The agency's Commissioner-General Filippo Lazzarini ordered the dismissal of several agency employees who were allegedly involved in the attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
In advocating for a peaceful resolution, Erdogan emphasized that "the only path to lasting peace is through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital within the borders of 1967."
He underscored Türkiye's firm stance on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, aligning closely with the Palestinian cause and calling for international support towards achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed over 30,000 people and injured more than 72,000 others with mass destruction and shortages of necessities
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’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.