NEW YORK 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday criticized the West for silence in the face of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 41,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7. 

“Unfortunately, many Western countries remain silent in the face of Israel, and they never took a stance against Israel,” Erdogan told US-based NBC News.

“Among the NATO allies, unfortunately, there are many countries that side with Israel. We are currently in the United States right now, and the United States is actually one of them,” he said.

Erdogan said US President Joe Biden criticizes Israel on one hand, but provides Israel with weapons, ammunition and has dispatched an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in support of Tel Aviv.  

US presidential elections

Asked about the American presidential elections in which Vice President Kamala Harris and former US President Donald Trump are vying for the White House, Erdogan said cooperation between Türkiye and the US would continue regardless of the outcome.

"As leaders managing countries, nations, and peoples, it is not possible for us to think differently. On a global level, the positions of the US and Russia are clear. We will continue to maintain close relations with all administrations,” he said.

On Türkiye-Russia relations and Ankara’s decision to participate in the BRICS meeting in October in Russia, Erdogan said: "Our relations with Russia are multidimensional. We have political, economic, cultural, and defense industry ties."

'Hamas is a resistance group that is defending its lands,' says Turkish president

‘From 1947 until today, Palestine has come to this day by losing its lands over and over again,' Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells NBC News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that he does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization but a resistance group defending its lands.

"From 1947 until today, Palestine has come to this day by losing its lands over and over again," Erdogan said in an interview with US-based NBC News.

When asked by host Keir Simmons about "there are those who criticize you, Türkiye, for providing a home for Hamas, who the US say are a terrorist, and you say that you are opposed to terrorism," Erdogan said: "We are, of course, against terrorists."

"But I am one of the leaders who knows Hamas well. I have never called Hamas a terrorist organization and I do not view Hamas as a terrorist organization.

"Because Hamas is a resistance group that strives to protect its lands. Therefore, how can I call such a resistance group a terrorist organization?" Erdogan said.

Replying to a question on the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel, the president said the backdrop of the incident should be examined.

"We need to know the reasons that prepared the conditions for Oct. 7. We need to understand them well. And when we examine the background of how many Palestinians were martyred, how many Palestinians were killed, the situation reaches very, very different levels," he added.

Türkiye strongly supports a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, including the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas last October, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 41,500 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and around 96,100 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

Ukraine's NATO bid

During the interview, when asked about Ankara's view on Ukraine's NATO membership bid, Erdogan said that Türkiye would consider the positions of all NATO countries on this issue.

"America does not want Ukraine to join NATO in the first place. Many NATO countries do not want Ukraine to join NATO either. We need to recognize these facts and make our decision," the president said.

Erdogan said the question of Ukraine's NATO membership requires thorough consideration, noting: "When we look at these facts, these are not issues to be approached with excitement."

"When we make our decisions on these issues, of course, we put the stance of all NATO members on the table and make our decisions accordingly," he said, adding that Türkiye's final decision will come after considering the positions of other member nations.

"These decisions are not made in haste," said the president.

Ukraine has openly expressed its desire to join the NATO alliance.

While NATO has not yet offered Ukraine membership, the alliance has significantly strengthened its ties with Kyiv since the war with Russia began in February 2022.

*Diyar Guldogan and Hakan Copur from Washington, D.C. contributed to this story