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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Friday that Turkey's principled stance on Gaza will be vindicated by history, just like its position on Syria.
"Just as we were right in the case of Syria, history will prove our justice in the Gaza crisis ," President Erdogan said at an event of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly in Istanbul.
He said Turkey's commitment to justice, peace and compassion will prove to be the right approach. Bashar Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups seized control of Damascus on December 8, ending the Baath Party regime that had been in power since 1963.
The change came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters quickly overran key cities in an offensive that lasted less than two weeks.
" We are working tirelessly for lasting peace ," he said.
As winter deepens the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the Turkish president said they cannot tolerate the loss of another innocent life.
" We are working tirelessly to end the massacres and pave the way for lasting peace. God willing, we hope to see positive results from these multifaceted efforts in the near future ," Erdogan said.
The UN migration agency warned that nearly 1 million Gazans need urgent winter aid after hypothermia claimed the lives of at least seven babies. President Erdogan stated that Turkey has provided 100,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza through various channels to "ease the suffering of its people".
He emphasized Turkey's commitment to support diplomatic initiatives aimed at securing wider international recognition for the state of Palestine, stating that the country has supported and led such efforts.
Erdogan also pointed out that Turkey is the only country that has completely cut off trade with Israel. In May, Turkey halted all trade with Israel, amounting to about $9.5 billion, amid Israel's ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.
In addition, the president mentioned the conclusion of negotiations to expand the Palestine Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
" On behalf of myself and my nation, I thank all the representatives of our business community who supported this decision of our government in solidarity with the Palestinian people ," he said.
Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, the Israeli military has continued a genocidal war in Gaza that has killed more than 45,600 victims, mostly women and children, since October 7, 2023.
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