Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza during an iftar dinner held with former deputies at the AK Party Congress Center in Ankara on Thursday evening.

In a speech following the dinner, President Erdoğan described the Israeli administration’s actions as “massacre and genocide,” criticizing the international community for remaining silent.

“The Zionist Israeli administration has broken the ceasefire and is continuing its policy of massacre and genocide in Gaza during these sacred days of Ramadan,” said President Erdoğan. He emphasized that over 500 Palestinians—most of them women and children—had been killed in recent attacks, which he described as “a murderous and venomous flock of barbarians.”

Referring to airstrikes carried out during suhoor, the pre-dawn meal in Ramadan, Erdoğan stated: “The bombs poured over civilians in Gaza at suhoor time have left many mothers and fathers childless, and many children orphans. I wish Allah’s mercy upon all of them.”

“We Will Continue to Stand with Palestine”

Reaffirming Türkiye’s longstanding support for the Palestinian cause, the Turkish leader expressed hope that the holy month of Ramadan would bring salvation to oppressed communities worldwide.

“Those who remain silent to these relentless massacres and fail to prevent Israel’s war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity will sooner or later be held accountable before both history and humanity’s conscience,” Erdoğan declared. “Those who massacre children with the support of their backers will, inshallah, drown in the blood of the innocents they have killed.”

“We, as Türkiye, will inshallah continue to stand with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, stand on the right side of history, and support the oppressed Gazan people with all our strength,” he added.

“Türkiye Determined to Eliminate Terror Threat”

In his remarks, President Erdoğan also addressed Türkiye’s long-standing battle with terrorism, vowing to resolve a decades-long issue that has plagued the country.

“We are going through a historic period that will finally put an end to this 40-year-old problem,” Erdoğan stated, referring to Türkiye’s fight against terrorism, particularly along its southern borders with Iraq and Syria.

Highlighting the broader regional impact of counter-terrorism efforts, he noted: “This development will lead to relief and the strengthening of stability in the entire region, especially in Iraq and Syria, as well as in our country.”

“As the dark shadow of terror moves away from politics, words will grow stronger and the democratic space of politics will further expand,” Erdoğan said. “This will enhance our democracy’s problem-solving capacity. We, as the government and the alliance, are both sincere and determined to rid Türkiye of its 40-year-old lump.”

He concluded by calling for a mutual spirit of honesty and cooperation: “We always act with goodwill in every word we say and every stance we take. We expect the same outright, honest, and constructive approach from our interlocutors.” (ILKHA)