Turkish president, Spanish premier discuss Israel's attacks in Gaza

By Merve Yildizalp

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday spoke over the phone and discussed Israel’s relentless attacks in Gaza.

According to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, Erdogan told Sanchez: "Israel's massacres against Palestine must be stopped as soon as possible and Israel must be forced to comply with international law."

Welcoming Spain’s decision to recognize Palestine as a state, the Turkish president also voiced his belief that this step will strengthen both the establishment of peace and justice in the region and efforts for a two-state solution.

The phone call also addressed bilateral relations between Türkiye and Spain as well as regional and global issues.

Israel has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which killed around 1,200 people.

The military campaign has turned much of the enclave of 2.3 million people into ruins, leaving most civilians homeless and at risk of famine.