UPDATE - 'End these inhumane massacres': Turkish president urges Israel to halt attacks on Gaza

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

By Gizem Nisa Cebi and Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday criticized Israel's actions in the region, urging it to halt "inhumane" attacks on Gaza, where more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed since last October.

"Israel should stop insisting on continuing these massacres and end these inhumane attacks," President Erdogan told journalists on his return flight from Germany, where he attended Türkiye vs. Netherlands EURO 2024 quarterfinal.

"To date, it is Israel that has insisted on attacks and continued massacres. It is Israel that tramples on human rights, and international law,” he said.

On the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Erdogan said "Israel should abandon its intention to spread conflicts to the region, and Western countries, particularly the US, should withdraw their support for Israel at this point."

Commenting on a potential cease-fire deal in Gaza, Erdogan said there had been positive developments in Doha, where the head of Israel's spy agency Mossad recently held talks.

"They are now saying a cease-fire may happen 'at any moment'. In other words, at any moment, the right news may be heard from there. But the whole matter is about Netanyahu’s attitude," he said.

Türkiye has time and again said that the conflicts must end, and a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders will ensure lasting peace, the Turkish leader said.

- Erdogan to congratulate new Iran's president

About Masoud Pezeshkian, the new reformist president of Iran, Erdogan said he is of Azerbaijani origin and Turkish descent. "For instance, he speaks Turkish in Tabriz. However, when he goes to Kurdish regions, he can also speak Kurdish there."

"He is also quite proficient in Persian," Erdogan said, adding that he will congratulate Pezeshkian after returning to Türkiye.

Addressing relations with Iran, Erdogan underscored the importance of historical and cultural ties between the two countries. "Iran is an important neighbor with whom we have historical, cultural ties. I expect Türkiye-Iran ties to develop in a positive direction in the upcoming period," he said.

Turning to Türkiye's relationship with Syria, Erdogan signaled a potential thaw in relations. "The moment Bashar al-Assad takes a step towards improving relations with Türkiye, we will reciprocate that approach," he said, emphasizing a willingness to mend ties.

"We will extend an invitation to Assad. We want to bring Türkiye-Syria relations back to the same point as in the past."

- Continue to enhance relations with UK

About the recent elections in the UK in which the Labour Party won a landslide, Erdogan said the policies they have implemented so far and economic difficulties in the country are reasons for the loss of Conservatives, led by Rishi Sunak.

He said he will call Keir Starmer, the new British prime minister, after returning to Türkiye and will discuss the path forward in Türkiye-UK relations. "We will continue to enhance relations with our ally UK in every field," the president said.

- Ban on Turkish footballer Merih 'political decision'

Criticizing UEFA's two-match ban on Turkish footballer Merih Demiral for a celebratory gesture, Erdogan said the penalty was a "political decision."

The European football governing body suspended Demiral on Friday for his grey wolf sign after a goal in the EURO 2024 round of 16 match against Austria, which Türkiye won.

"To be frank, UEFA's two-match ban on Merih has seriously overshadowed the championship. It is inexplicable; it is a completely political decision," Erdogan said. "Our national team responded to the injustice inflicted on them with the magnificent football performance they showed on the pitch."

"If the issue is to punish the Grey Wolves sign, Germans have the eagle, do you punish the eagle? No."

He reminded that the French have the rooster as a symbol, but they are not punished for it.

Türkiye were edged out by the Netherlands 2-1 in Berlin, thus ending their journey in the tournament.

The Turkish president congratulated the Turkish Football Federation, the coaching staff, and everyone involved in the tournament for their valiant efforts and extraordinary performance.

Erdogan said he was deeply moved by support of Turkish expatriates in Germany, pointing out that the streets of Berlin were adorned with Turkish flags and echoed with enthusiastic chants.