UPDATE - Türkiye will not yield to lobbies supporting Israel: President Erdogan

UPDATE WITH MORE REMARKS

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Türkiye is aware of those supporting Israel and will not yield to the lobbies backing Tel Aviv.

"We're aware of who supports Israel and the lobbies behind them. We haven't yielded to these lobbies until now, and we won't in the future," said Erdogan during an iftar program in Istanbul.

"Except for Türkiye and a few other countries, there is hardly any actor raising voice against Israel and its Western supporters," he stressed.

Alongside the Palestinian people, all the innocent people around the world have been witness to Türkiye's efforts, he said.

Hospitals and health workers, as well as places of worship, are deliberately targeted by occupying forces in Gaza, Erdogan pointed out.

"We do not take into account those who label our Palestinian brothers resisting oppression as terrorists," he added.

The president said Türkiye's economy has been showing resilience despite the recent earthquake burden.

Erdogan said this year, Türkiye's "export target is $375 billion for goods and services and $60 billion for tourism."

He said that despite the $104 billion extra burden from the Kahramanmaras earthquake alone, Türkiye's "economy sustained a strong growth rate of 4.5%."