Israel trying to break Gazans' spirit by deliberately bombing hospitals in besieged enclave: Turkish president

Israel is trying to break the resilience of Gazans by deliberately bombing hospitals in the besieged enclave, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday, referring to repeated, deliberate attacks on Gaza hospitals in recent weeks.

Israel and its supporters, which use all modern war tools against children, women, and the elderly, will be judged before the conscience of humanity, said Erdoğan, speaking after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

Since the beginning of Israel's attack on Gaza on Oct. 7, the embattled enclave has seen atrocities and cruelty similar to what happened in the medieval Crusades and World War II, he added.

Türkiye is the "only country" that Israel cannot call antisemitic, Erdoğan said, adding: "You cannot see such a stain of shame in Türkiye's past."

The disgrace of the Holocaust has captured European leaders, Erdoğan added.

"If we don't react to what is happening in Gaza, we will not be able to prevent occupier fanaticism from reaching our own lands tomorrow," he said.

"That is why we say that any incident taking place around us, from the Balkans to the Caucasus, from the Black Sea to the eastern coasts of the Mediterranean, is of direct concern to us."

"Gaza has the same place in our hearts as Karabakh," he added, referring to the Southern Caucasus region belonging to Azerbaijan, recently liberated from nearly 30 years of Armenian occupation.

Türkiye has dispatched up to 800 tons of humanitarian aid to the region for people in Gaza, said Erdoğan, adding: "While Türkiye mobilize to stop the bloodshed in Gaza, we feel embarrassed observing the unscrupulousness of Western countries."

He said in the face of the brutality in Gaza, the responsibility to be the conscience and voice of humanity now lies with Türkiye.

"Israel openly admits to having nuclear weapons. However, neither the UN Security Council nor the International Atomic Energy Agency has initiated any investigation into this matter," he said.

The Israeli government boasts about killing pregnant women along with their unborn babies, he added.

He called Israel's attacks "barbarism, banditry, and state terrorism."

Since Israel started bombarding Gaza on Oct. 7, at least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, including over 9,000 women and children, and more than 30,000 others have been injured, according to the latest figures.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel's relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave.

An Israeli blockade has also cut Gaza off from fuel, electricity, and water supplies, and reduced aid deliveries to a small trickle.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.

CALLS ON ARMENIA TO SEIZE "HAND OF PEACE" EXTENDED BY AZERBAIJAN

The security of the Armenian people and leaders will be better if sought in peace and cooperation with their neighbors rather than thousands of kilometers away, Erdoğan said.

"No weapons and ammunition sent by Western countries can replace the tranquility that a lasting peace environment would provide," he said.

Erdoğan called on Armenia to seize the "hand of peace" extended by Azerbaijan.

Türkiye is ready to take necessary steps in cooperation with Azerbaijan for the success of the process, he added.

Although they may have different views on the Gaza issue, Türkiye places great importance on its strong and longstanding friendship with Germany, Erdoğan said, fresh from a working visit last week to Berlin.

"With a total trade volume exceeding $50 billion, Germany is our largest trading partner, and we are determined to strengthen our cooperation in all areas."

Erdoğan said the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) becoming an observer of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in 2022, under its constitutional name, is a historic step.

This move not only breaks the isolation imposed on the people in TRNC but also demonstrates the Turkic world's support for the people of Turkish Cyprus, he said.

He added that Türkiye "neutralized" around 2,000 terrorists, including ringleaders, since the start of year and the fight against terrorism will continue.