Türkiye has "crossed out" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will do everything to bring Israel's violation of human rights and war crimes to the International Criminal Court (ICC), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.
The embattled premier "is no longer someone we can talk to, we have crossed him out," Erdoğan told reporters on Friday aboard the presidential plane returning from Kazakhstan, where he attended the Organization of Turkic States summit.
"I said something in my speech at the Palestine Rally. I announced that we would support initiatives that would bring Israel's human rights violations and war crimes to the International Criminal Court. Our relevant authorities, especially our Foreign Ministry, will carry out this work," the Turkish leader added.
He said that Netanyahu has lost the support of Israeli citizens and he wants to garner support for massacres through religious rhetoric.
"What the Torah is he talking about?" Erdoğan said in reference to Netanyahu's recent remarks on Amalek, the ancient nation described in the sacred book as a staunch enemy of the Israelites.
"Don't the Ten Commandments include 'Thou shalt not kill' as an order?" he questioned.
What Netanyahu is doing is "purely public relations, a populist approach," Erdoğan further said.
"The Israeli administration systematically usurps Palestinians' homes, streets, workplaces, and living spaces," he said, adding that Israel does not "grant them the right to live."
"The occupation has become widespread after invaders who they call 'settlers' were placed into the homes of Palestinians. They want to justify the war crimes committed by the Israeli army with religious rhetoric," Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan also said Ankara "is ready to act as a guarantor country for Gaza" after clashes, reiterating Türkiye's support for the Gazan people amid Israel's ongoing aggression.
The upcoming summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh will be crucial for Gaza cease-fire efforts, Erdoğan said.
Turkish president further stated that a cease-fire will prove to be a lifeline for war-stricken Gazans.
"I attach great importance to the OIC summit. In Riyadh, we will both push for a cease-fire and carry out preliminary work in terms of procedures and principles," he said.
Erdoğan also said that he will meet his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the summit and will discuss the issue with him.
"Of course, the stance of the OIC member states is very important here," he said.
The president also added that diplomacy will prove indispensable in achieving a cease-fire in the coming days.
"We constantly meet with our counterparts and tell them the truth," Erdoğan said.
"Our fight is for Palestinian children to be able to live in peace like other children in the world," he said.
The global community and the EU have turned a blind eye to Israel's attacks to destroy Gaza's health infrastructure, leaving infants and civilians for dead, President Erdoğan has emphasized.
Accusing the EU of having displayed a "very strange and inconsistent role," Erdoğan said that the EU "did not and could not put forward a fair approach."
"Pay attention to who is currently on Israel's side, and who is also left out of the diplomatic processes in the Russia-Ukraine war? The European Union. Our trust in EU has been shattered.'' Erdoğan added.
"The EU administration must first think carefully about the issue of trust in international law and the universal values they mention at every opportunity. While hospitals are being hit, civilians are being killed in refugee camps, and Israel is spewing death into places of worship, schools, and marketplaces, they have to explain where they stand," Erdoğan said.
"What does the EU administration propose?" he asked. "To pave the way for the complete occupation of Palestinian lands by Israel and to actually end the existence of Palestine?"
The president also highlighted that "it is the time to defend human life and the right to live."
The Israeli army has widened its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the surprise offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.
At least 9,488 Palestinians, including 3,900 children have been killed in Israeli attacks since then, while the Israeli death toll has topped 1,500, according to official figures.
Basic supplies are running low for Gaza's 2.3 million residents due to the Israeli siege, in addition to the large number of casualties and displacements.
