Israel has reduced Gaza to rubble, how can it be innocent: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has delivered a sweeping address at the TRT World Forum 2025 on Friday, condemning Israel’s Gaza genocide and calling out the international community’s failure to uphold justice, peace, and morality.

Erdogan questioned the narratives defending Israel, saying:

“Israel has nuclear weapons and the capability to strike Gaza, however and whenever it wants; how can it be innocent?”

Erdogan accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon, particularly targeting children amid one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern times.

“Israel is using hunger as a deadly weapon, especially against children,” he said.

“In Gaza, hardly a single building remains intact. Schools, churches, mosques, and hospitals have all been bombed. They say, ‘Israel is innocent.’ How so?”

Erdogan also condemned Israel’s “propaganda machine built on lies,” revealing the toll it has taken on journalists.

“Against Israel’s propaganda machine, 270 journalists who sought to expose the truth on the ground and reveal Tel Aviv’s falsehoods have been killed,” he noted, stressing the moral responsibility of the media to stand with justice.

The Turkish leader criticised global institutions tasked with maintaining peace and stability, accusing them of turning a blind eye to massacres and failing to prevent genocide.

“Those responsible for protecting global peace have failed to stop massacres, prevent genocide, and save children’s lives,” Erdogan said.

Gaza truce

Addressing the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, Erdogan said Hamas has shown diligence in complying with the terms, while accusing Israel of searching for excuses to violate the agreement and resume its attacks.

“Everyone knows Israel’s terrible record when it comes to keeping its promises,” he added.

President Erdogan also expressed optimism over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, stating that Türkiye believes a “middle ground will soon be found” to allow both nations to “live side by side in peace again.”

Reaffirming Türkiye’s principled foreign policy, Erdogan said Ankara “strongly condemns the atrocities committed against civilians” in Sudan’s Al Fasher, urging immediate action to halt the violence.

The 9th TRT World Forum kicked off in Istanbul, bringing together leaders, thinkers, and changemakers from around the world to discuss how global realities are being reshaped amid uncertainty.

Held under the theme "The Global Reset: From the Old Order to New Realities", the two-day event explores how shifts in economics, technology, media and international law are redefining the world we live in.

Organised by Türkiye's public broadcaster TRT, the annual flagship forum serves as a space to bring unspoken issues to the forefront and to question the media's role in shaping global narratives.