Turkish president urges global action against Israeli 'bloodthirstiness' during Eid al-Adha

ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called for international action to put an end to Israel's "bloodthirstiness" and systematic oppression of Palestinians.

Speaking to members of Türkiye's Justice and Development (AK) Party via videoconference on the occasion of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, Erdogan said the Palestinian people, who have been subjected to occupation and systematic massacre for 76 years, are once again spending Eid in sadness, longing for peace.

“The pain of 38,000 of our brothers who were martyred treacherously by the genocidal Israeli administration tears our hearts as a nation and as an Ummah. We are going through days of testing not only our Muslim identity but also our humanity. Showing reaction to the massacre in Gaza is not only our duty of brotherhood but also our humanitarian duty.

"The world must take measures against Israel's bloodthirstiness and immediately prevent the massacres that we witness anew every day," he said.

The Turkish president also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration, slamming it for setting the entire region on fire, including its own citizens, to prolong its political life. “We clearly conveyed this stance to our counterparts last week during our visit to Spain and at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Italy.”

"As Türkiye, we have mobilized all our resources to establish permanent peace in our region and to hold those responsible for genocide accountable," he added.

He recalled that Ankara has joined other nations in the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, as well as halted trade transactions with Israel, to put pressure on Israel to agree to a permanent cease-fire.

Erdogan emphasized Türkiye's efforts to unify the Islamic world and increase the number of countries to recognize the Palestinian state.

“We are not staying silent about the tragedies that are occurring in other corners of the Islamic world, as well as Gaza. Our efforts continue to put an end to the fraternal conflict in Sudan that has been ongoing for over a year. From Libya to Somalia, from Afghanistan to Yemen, wherever there is trouble, instability, or tragedy, we rush to the aid of the oppressed without discrimination.”

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.

More than 37,300 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and more than 85,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Over eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.