ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that the Gaza Strip belongs to the Palestinians, along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

"Just like East Jerusalem and the West Bank, Gaza belongs to the Palestinians. God willing, our brothers and sisters in Gaza will continue to live forever on the land where they were born," Erdogan said in remarks after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

Citing the Turkish-hosted April 18 meeting of the Group of Parliaments in Support of Palestine, Erdogan said Türkiye’s support for the Palestinian cause “is well known to the entire world.”

“The Palestinian people have repeatedly shown that they will not surrender, will not abandon their homeland, and will never bow to oppression – despite all the hardships and all the acts of barbarism,” Erdogan said.

“For the past 18 months, Gaza has witnessed not only some of the most brutal massacres of the past century, but also an epic resistance that stands as a source of pride for all humanity,” he added.

Slamming Israel's atrocities in Gaza, Erdogan underlined that nothing can be achieved in Gaza through Israel’s current course of bloodshed and cutting off food and medical aid.

"Now it must be recognized that no place can be reached in Gaza by shedding more blood, killing more children, and leaving people hungry, thirsty, and without medicine," he said.

Urging everyone to “come to their senses and avoid recklessly squandering the windows of opportunity that have opened for stability in our region,” Erdogan said that that is what Türkiye seeks.

“Everything we say is for the peace, safety, and coexistence of all the peoples in our region. God willing, we will continue to work for peace and stability in the future as well,” he added.