Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Gaza urgently needs to heal and rebuild, stressing Türkiye’s efforts to ensure that the current Hamas-Israel agreement contributes to lasting peace.

Speaking at the 5th Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum on Friday in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “Due to Israel’s poor record, we remain wary as Gaza urgently needs to heal and rebuild.”

Erdogan added that Türkiye is making intensive efforts to ensure that the Hamas-Israel agreement lasts and paves the way for lasting peace.

'Ending the bloodshed' in Sudan

On the ongoing Sudan crisis, he said Türkiye is deeply saddened by the clashes in Sudan, expressing hope for a ceasefire and lasting peace there.

Erdogan also underlined that the international community has not paid enough attention to the tragedy in Sudan, stressing that “ending the bloodshed is everyone’s humanitarian duty.”

“The Western world, unfortunately, sees civil wars, conflicts, and disputes in Africa as the continent’s destiny,” he said.

Fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023 has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced about 15 million, according to the UN and local authorities, while a study by US universities estimates the death toll at around 130,000.