Turkish President Erdoğan calls on U.S. to not side with Israel on Gaza, Lebanon

Türkiye's president on Tuesday urged the U.S. to take a stance against Israel, calling on Washington to position itself in opposition to rather than supporting Israel's attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.

"The US must clearly state its stance here and take its place opposing Israel, not at its side," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters after his address to the UN General Assembly.

The U.S. has repeatedly faced criticism for its support for Israel over its onslaught on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

During his address, Erdoğan urged the international community to stop Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as it did generations ago with Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

"Israel's attitude has once again shown that it is essential for the international community to develop a protection mechanism for Palestinian civilians," Erdoğan said in his address.

"Just as Hitler was stopped by the alliance of humanity 70 years ago, (now) Netanyahu and his murder network must be stopped by the alliance of humanity."

Asked about the messages in his UN speech, Erdoğan stressed that he stands by his words.

He also reiterated that Türkiye does not approve of gender neutralization, instead urging collective action to "embrace the sacred family structure."

Erdoğan also said there has been "no progress" with the U.S. on Türkiye rejoining the F-35 fighter jet program, a long-standing thorn in Turkish-U.S. relations.