Turkish president calls for unified Western response against Israel's actions in Gaza

By Gizem Nisa Cebi

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Turkish president on Thursday urged a united response from Western countries on Israel's actions in Gaza, just like they reacted to Iran's recent retaliatory strikes.

"We've seen Western countries respond unanimously to Iran's retaliation. Same actors now need to unite in telling Israel 'enough'," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a joint news conference with his Tanzanian counterpart Samia Suluhu Hassan in Ankara.

Iran launched an airborne attack Saturday on Israel in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic compound in the Syrian capital. It is said to have fired more than 300 drones and missiles, with almost all intercepted by the air defense systems of Israel and its allies – the US, France and the UK.

"One of the biggest massacres of the last century has been taking place in Gaza for 195 days. We must step up our efforts to stop the massacres in Gaza," the Turkish president said. "An immediate and lasting cease-fire must be achieved as soon as possible, and then we must straightaway take steps to realize a two-state solution."

Erdogan said "Israel's attempts to twist the agenda, hide the brutality in Gaza as well as remove that from the agenda should not be allowed to happen."

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in which nearly 1,200 people were killed.

Nearly 34,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed, besides causing internal displacement, destruction and conditions of famine.