UPDATE - Biden's new Gaza cease-fire push is ‘overdue but important’: Turkish President Erdogan

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH PRESIDENT, CHANGES HEADLINE; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Esra Tekin

ANKARA (AA) - The US president’s new push for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip comes belatedly but is still important, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.

“President (Joe) Biden's announcement of a new initiative for a cease-fire in Gaza is a step that is long overdue but nonetheless an important one,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a joint news conference in the capital Ankara alongside the visiting sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.

"Regional and global peace cannot be achieved unless an urgent, just, lasting cease-fire is established in Gaza," President Erdogan said, speaking the day after a truce took effect between Lebanon and Israel after months of cross-border fighting.

"Since the very beginning of these conflicts, we have repeatedly expressed our readiness to do whatever is necessary, whether through mediation or as guarantors, to secure a lasting cease-fire.

"Today, we stand firm in the same position. We will not hesitate to do whatever is required to establish calm and peace in Gaza,” he added.

Biden said on Tuesday that the US will make "another push" with Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to achieve a cease-fire and hostage exchange deal in Gaza.

Israel has killed more than 44,000 people in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

Erdogan said Türkiye gives “great importance” to consultations and cooperation with Oman on these matters, adding: "We stressed the need for the Muslim world to engage in more concrete and comprehensive cooperation in response to Israel's massacres in Palestine and its attacks that threaten regional security."

- Ties between Oman and Türkiye

Erdogan said the Omani sultan's trip marks the first official state visit from Oman to Türkiye at the presidential level.

He said he plans to make a return visit to Oman in the near future.

Erdogan said Türkiye shares “deep historical ties and brotherly bonds” with Oman and bilateral ties will continue to develop in all fields.

"We aim to take the relations to “even greater heights across all fields,” he said, adding: "We are eager to give a more institutional framework to our relations. To this end, we have considered various options, including the high-level strategic cooperation mechanism."

As many as 10 agreements have been signed to advance our cooperation in areas such as foreign relations, economy, industry, investment, healthcare, culture, agriculture, and livestock. A joint declaration has also been adopted,” the Turkish president said.

He shared that Turkish contracting firms have successfully completed projects worth $7 billion in Oman to date, and added that they also discussed how Turkish companies could contribute to Oman's Vision 2040, a long-term strategic plan to guide the Gulf country’s development and progress.

"We aim to boost our economic and commercial relations to $5 billion at the first stage, reflecting our current potential," Erdogan said. "Starting from 2025, with the commencement of liquefied gas supply from Oman, we will enter a new era in our cooperation in the energy sector."