On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Israel to “immediately stop this madness” and cease “attacks” on targets in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli bombardments on Gaza intensified last night and once again targeted women, children and innocent civilians and worsened the ongoing humanitarian crisis, Erdogan said on X, formerly Twitter.
The Turkish leader also called for a rally in support of Palestinians in Istanbul on Saturday, organized by his Islamo-conservative AKP party, which could be attended by around one million people.
We will declare loud and clear that we stand alongside the Palestinian people against Israel’s persecution, he stated.
Israel has been plotting a ground assault since Hamas militants stormed across the border on 7 October, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and taking 229 hostages.
Erdogan has repeatedly taken a pro-Palestinian stance during his two decades in power, but last year he also moved to restore diplomatic relations with Israel, meeting for the first time with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September.
He cancelled plans to visit Israel, citing its “inhumane” war against Hamas in Gaza, naming Hamas not as a terrorist group but as “liberators” fighting for their land.
