Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Israel’s strike on a negotiation team in Doha was a “cowardly assault” that amounted to “an open challenge to the international system and law”, after carrying out attacks across Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran.
“This attack has once again shown the extent of Israel’s occupation mentality and terrorist policies,” Erdogan told reporters on Tuesday on his return from the Arab-Islamic emergency summit in Doha.
The president stressed that Türkiye stood firmly alongside Qatar and the Palestinian people, offering condolences to those killed and wishing a swift recovery to the injured.
He added that the extraordinary summit had demonstrated the Islamic world’s united stance against Israeli aggression, with leaders agreeing to consider additional diplomatic and economic measures, including a review of relations with Tel Aviv.
The final communique, he noted, underlined that Israel’s aggression targeted not only Palestine but all Muslim nations, and called for the adoption of “all possible legal and effective measures” to halt its actions.
Erdogan welcomed the UN General Assembly’s recent approval of the New York Declaration with 142 votes in favour, describing it as a turning point in diplomatic efforts for a two-state solution.
“It proves that Israel is becoming increasingly isolated and that Türkiye’s stance has gained global recognition,” he said.
“False scenarios”
Addressing regional tensions, Erdogan rejected “false scenarios” of redrawing borders under the guise of “promised land”. Such claims, he argued, were legally void and morally bankrupt, serving only the agenda of Israel’s “radical and fascist ideology”.
He also stated that the leadership of Israel had transformed radical ideology into a “fascist network of murder” that poses a threat to Muslims, Christians and Jews alike. He urged Islamic nations to respond with knowledge, cooperation and unity.
“When you listen to Jews who oppose Israel's genocide, you can clearly see how dangerous an ideology Zionism is. If Zionist Israel is to be associated with anything, it is terrorism and fascism.”
The president reaffirmed that Ankara would continue to act as a “flag-bearer of the Palestinian cause”, stressing that Türkiye’s ultimate goal was to ensure peace, justice and human dignity across the region.
