ISTANBUL

Türkiye has stepped up diplomatic efforts to restore a ceasefire in the war-torn Gaza strip, the Turkish president said Friday.

“We have accelerated our diplomatic contacts to restore the ceasefire, end the persecution, and stop the genocide network,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a traditional Nowruz event in Istanbul.

“Türkiye will never allow this criminal squad to turn the region into a sea of blood,” he said, referring to the Israeli government.

Erdogan added that Türkiye has increased humanitarian aid to support Gazans ahead of Eid al-Fitr, a holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Erdogan said that the children, women, civilians, and innocents who have been “martyred” in recent Israeli attacks in Gaza have broken everyone's hearts. During these difficult days, Türkiye continues to stand by the Palestinians with all their resources, just as in the past, he said.

Türkiye will continue to take all necessary actions to ensure that the terrorist state, which feeds on the blood of children, is condemned not only in the conscience of humanity but also in international courts, he said.

"I have said this before, and today I declare it once again: We will never allow this massacre squad, which grows more arrogant and reckless by the day, to turn our region into a sea of blood,” he said.

“Those trying to redraw maps for their own gain will, with God's permission, never achieve their deceitful goals,” he added. “As nations living side by side and brotherly in this land for thousands of years, we will build our future full of peace, tranquility, and stability together. I wish God’s help and assistance for all the oppressed.”

More than 700 Palestinians have been killed and over 900 injured in a surprise aerial campaign by Israel on Gaza since Tuesday, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

Nearly 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 112,000 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Erdogan said that the ongoing conflicts, oppression, and massacres in various parts of the world cast a shadow over the heart-warming atmosphere of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Nowruz

Erdogan said Nowruz's significance should be further strengthened and suggested that it be celebrated annually on March 21 similar to how Turkic States Cooperation Day is celebrated on Oct. 3 under the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

” At the summit we will hold in Hungary in May, we will propose that Nowruz be celebrated as a common day of remembrance and celebration for the Turkic world,” Erdogan said.

Stressing that the greatest assurance for the Turkic world is unity and solidarity, Erdogan said: "Thanks to the mutual steps we have taken in recent years, we have reached places that were previously unimaginable. We have strengthened our cooperation in all areas, from energy to trade, security to education, tourism to communication."

"With the goal of a terror-free Türkiye, we have thankfully overcome some critical thresholds in our multidimensional efforts. Without resorting to tactics such as stalling or complicating matters, we believe the final stage will be successfully passed,” he said.

“After freeing our country and region from the plague of terrorism, we will, God willing, open the door to a very different era."

He added: "We will put an end to the maps that imperialists want to redraw with blood in our region after almost a century, and we will disrupt their dirty games aimed at turning us against each other.”

Erdogan highlighted that it is time to build a new political paradigm centered around dialogue, solidarity, and friendship in Türkiye and the entire region, stating: "We hope that Nowruz, which means ‘new day,’ will mark the beginning of a new era, true to its name."