ADDS REMARKS OF TURKISH NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER
By Merve Berker, Emre Basaran and Diyar Guldogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Tuesday excoriated Israel over its airstrikes hitting a hospital in the illegally blockaded Gaza Strip, killing over 500 people.
"Striking a hospital where there are women, children, and innocent civilians is the latest example of Israel's attacks devoid of fundamental human values," Erdogan said in a post on X.
"I call on all humanity to take action to stop Israel's unprecedented brutality in Gaza," he added.
Over 500 people were killed in the Israeli airstrike on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday night, Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told Anadolu.
Footage showed corpses scattered across the hospital grounds.
The airstrike comes on day 11 in the current conflict, with a growing international chorus of non-governmental groups and world leaders saying the Israeli bombing campaign on the besieged Gaza Strip – including healthcare facilities, homes, and houses of worship – violates international law and may constitute a war crime.
First lady Emine Erdogan also voiced concern over the attack on the hospital, saying: "The bitter cries that have been rising from Gaza for days are tearing our hearts to pieces."
There can be no justification for Israel targeting a hospital, killing and injuring hundreds of innocent people, she added.
"History will not forget the crime against humanity committed by Israel, which rained death on Gaza, regardless of women, children and the elderly," the Turkish first lady said, calling for an immediate end "to this oppression that the world is watching."
- 'Crime against humanity'
Meanwhile, Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said that hundreds of lives lost today as a result of Israel's attack on a hospital in Gaza is a "great tragedy" for humanity.
"Bombing civilians doing their duty and receiving treatment in hospitals is a war crime and a crime against humanity! We expect those who make statements that add fuel to the fire and those who support Israel unconditionally to reconsider their positions after these events," Yilmaz said on X.
It is a common duty on behalf of humanity to make efforts to prevent further bloodshed of innocent people, he said, calling the whole world, especially the UN and regional leaders, to take action to end "this brutality", reduce tensions and find a permanent solution.
Türkiye’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun also condemned the Israeli attack on the hospital, calling it a "grave crime."
"Bombing hospitals is a grave crime. Massacring people who are receiving medical attention is simply beyond the pale. Targeting civilians is employing terror tactics, pure and simple. Unconscionable attacks such as the one reported against the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City is unacceptable. Innocent civilians in the thousands have suffered more than enough. This must stop," Altun said on X.
"As President Erdogan stated, the whole world must come together to stop Israel from committing more crimes against civilians. Civilians and women are being targeted and this is barbarism that is against any humanitarian value we hold dear.
"Israel must immediately stop massacres against civilian targets. Intimidation of the Palestinian people through fear, starvation and bombs must stop. Violence against sick and elderly must stop. Bombing of Gaza must stop. The world must wake up and stop this bloodshed," he added.
Numan Kurtulmus, the Turkish parliament speaker, rebuked Israel for targeting civilian areas.
"Türkiye will continue to oppose disproportionate, barbaric attacks against Gaza that are devoid of any humanitarian or moral basis," he said on X, calling the world not to remain silent to "this grave crime against humanity."
Akif Cagatay Kilic, the Turkish president’s chief adviser, said what kind of conscience and humanity can explain hitting a hospital and murdering hundreds of innocent people and people receiving treatment.
“Humanity is dying in Gaza and the whole world is just watching this. Everyone must now raise their voice for human rights and against this massacre,” Kilic said on X.
Yasar Guler, the country's National Defense Minister called on the Israeli administration to immediately stop attacks against civilians, women and children.
"Continuing its brutal attacks on Gaza, Israel's massacre of innocent civilians by shooting the Al-Ahli Baptist hospital despite the reaction of the whole world was the end of humanity," Guler said in a statement.