Erdoğan says Hamas 'not a terror group,' offers to be a guarantor for Palestinians
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has strongly criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza, calling them “heinous, atrocious, and savage” and accusing Israel of committing crimes against humanity.
He also offered to be one of the guarantors for the Palestinian side, along with other Islamic countries, to bring a lasting solution to the conflict.
Erdoğan offers Turkey's mediation in Israeli-Palestinian conflict
At his AKP's parliamentary group meeting today, Erdoğan said that Turkey does not have a problem with the state of Israel, but it will never endorse its actions targeting civilians in Gaza.
"In Israel's attacks on Gaza, nearly half of the casualties are children, while the other half consists of their mothers and elders," said Erdoğan.
"This picture alone is sufficient to demonstrate that the purpose is not self-defense, but rather a deliberate atrocity aiming at crimes against humanity."
"Hamas is not a terror group"
The president also challenged the Western countries that consider Hamas a terrorist organization, saying that Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but a group of liberation and mujahideen fighting to protect their lands and citizens.
"Israel, you may be an organization, because the West owes you a lot. However, Turkey owes you nothing. Hamas is not a terrorist organization; it is a group of liberation and mujahideen fighting to protect their lands and citizens," he remarked.
"In a world filled with living dead, as a country and a nation, we will continue to shout the truth, to use all political, diplomatic, and, if necessary, military means for this purpose," he further said.
Guarantee mechanism
Erdoğan also proposed a guarantee mechanism involving Islamic countries to bring peace and stability to the region.
"With our humanitarian, political, and military presence, we are ready to be one of the guarantors of the Palestinian side," he remarked. "We invite goodwill and determined countries to evaluate our offer, to take concrete steps, and to open the doors to peace."
He also urged the Israeli administration and society to stay away from attitudes that would "damage the mercy feeling of the Turkish people, which has been valid for centuries."
Erdoğan further said that Turkey believes that acting in cooperation with Islamic countries is the most effective way to protect the rights of the Palestinian people and the Muslim people of Gaza.
Over 600,000 displaced in Gaza
The speech came amid escalating violence between Israel and Hamas since October 7, which has claimed the lives of over 5,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis so far. Due to Israel's heavy air bombardment, over 600,000 displaced people are currently sheltering at UN facilities in Gaza.
The war started on October 7, when Hamas raided military outposts and settlements in southern Israel, as well as launching thousands of rockets, killing hundreds of people, both civilians and security personnel, and triggering a massive Israeli retaliation.
Since then, Israel has pounded Gaza with airstrikes and artillery, destroying buildings, infrastructure, and killing thousands of Palestinians, most of which were women and children, according to local authorities.
Hamas has continued to fire rockets into Israel, causing more casualties and damage. The UN has warned of a full-scale war and a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and called for an immediate ceasefire. (VK)