Addressing a meeting of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated support for the Palestinian cause and opposition to Israel’s actions.
“We stand strong against the global Zionist lobby. We will not bow down to oppressors,” Erdoğan, who leads Turkish efforts to end the Palestine-Israel conflict and blames the Netanyahu administration for the ongoing genocide in Gaza, said.
He also spoke about Israel’s attacks in Syria and lambasted Tel Aviv’s expansionist goals. “Expansionism, drawing new maps will not benefit anyone. We want stability and peace in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon,” he said.
“We will fulfill responsibilities for the stability of Syria,” he added.
He condemned the Israeli violence in Gaza, calling it “blatant banditry,” citing reports of ambulances being shot at and medical staff executed. He emphasized that these acts constitute “clear war crimes” and denounced Israel’s actions in the region.
On Saturday, Palestinian authorities said that video footage showing the execution of 15 paramedics and aid workers in Rafah, southern Gaza, refutes Israeli forces’ claims that ambulances were not randomly targeted. The footage went viral on Saturday, found on the phone of a Palestinian paramedic whose body was discovered in a mass grave alongside 14 colleagues after they were executed by the Israeli army.
The Turkish president said that as Israel continues to “blatantly violate human dignity” in Gaza, Ankara will stand firmly with the Palestinians, vowing “never to turn its back on them.”
Erdoğan said that he would discuss the situation in Gaza at the upcoming Antalya Diplomacy Forum, adding that he would seek answers to the question of what can be done “to stop oppression.”
He also emphasized Ankara’s commitment to supporting Syria, stating that his country will “always stand by our Syrian brothers, sisters.”
Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa will attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum scheduled for April 11-13, an AK Party spokesperson announced on Monday.