On Wednesday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, said that the Palestinian militant group Hamas is not a terrorist organization but a liberation group waging a war to protect its land.
In a speech to his party’s lawmakers in parliament, Erdogan said Israel had taken advantage of Turkey’s good intentions and that he would not go to Israel as previously planned.
He also urged an immediate ceasefire between Israeli and Palestinian forces and said Muslim countries must act together for lasting peace, calling on world powers to pressure Israel to halt attacks.
Erdogan added that the Rafah border gate must be kept open for humanitarian aid and that prisoner exchanges should be concluded urgently.
Israel has persistently bombarded Gaza with air strikes since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel left over 1,400 people dead. Israel’s air strikes have killed more than 5,000 Palestinians, Gaza officials say.
