UPDATE 2 - President Erdogan says Türkiye in talks to ensure unity among Palestinians

ADDS MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Türkiye is in talks with all parties to ensure unity among different Palestinian factions.

"We are meeting with all parties to ensure unity among our Palestinian brothers," President Erdogan said at a Turkish Youth Foundation event in Istanbul.

"We are making every effort with our heart, tongue, and hands to put an end to the massacre in Gaza and the oppression in Palestine, without giving in to any threats," he added.

Israel launched a destructive military campaign in the Gaza Strip in response to the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian group Hamas, which killed 1,200 people.

Over 30,000 Palestinians have since been killed, the majority of the 2.3 million population has been displaced and many are starving amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.

Erdogan said American and European states that “encouraged and supported Israel have been recorded in history as patrons of murderers of women and children."

“To restore the dignity of humanity, it is essential for these states to reconsider their attitudes and correct their mistakes,” he added.

The Turkish president remarked that the Israeli administration led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “murderous, liar, and coward."

Erdogan added that in Israel, those who are perpetrators and those who do not oppose the Israeli attacks are responsible for “the massacre “of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians.

“The Palestinian people living under Israeli occupation endure a system of oppression that poisons every moment of their lives, from sitting at home to walking on the streets, going to work, or attending school,” he further said.

“The Israeli government is a thief, seizing the lands, fields, and homes that the Palestinian people have owned for thousands of years,” he added.

Erdogan also stated that the “gang of thieves called settlers” has been conducting usurpations under Israel’s justice and police’s watch and support.

“The Israeli government represents a fascist mentality, aiming to destroy various groups, including Jews, under the claim of a superior race, echoing the Nazi ideology. Israel's current government is the representative of this Nazi mindset,” he added.

"Even being associated with the Netanyahu administration is a heavy punishment in itself, a shameful shame," he said. "Like all great oppressors, the Israeli administration, which slaughters children and women in the name of Zionism and oppresses innocents who have no means of defending themselves, is also a coward."

“Israel, under the leadership of Netanyahu, poses a threat. Unchecked oppression and massacres pave the way for new ones with different pretexts,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan further said that Israel’s mindset, “which regards no one but themselves as human, will not hesitate to do what they do to the Palestinians, even worse to people of other nations and beliefs when given the opportunity.”

“The reckless acts of murder, oppression, theft, and all other flawed policies” increase the risk of triggering a chain reaction, he added.

“This group, which arrogantly asserts its power when strong and descends to a subhuman level when weak, is progressing toward eliminating the last shreds of mercy that humanity may have for them,” Erdogan said.

He said that Hamas is not a terrorist organization, adding: “It’s a resistance movement defending their homeland while risking their lives.”

Erdogan urged that "humanity must take collective action against Israel's genocidal policy."​​​​​​​