Erdoğan Urges Joint Action to End Gaza Tragedy, Restore Mideast Peace

Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in The Hague, Erdoğan said diplomacy remains the only viable solution to the region’s enduring conflicts.

"The permanent resolution of problems with Iran is only possible through diplomacy and negotiation," Erdoğan said. "Our region is full of examples showing that war and destruction lead nowhere."

Condemning Israel’s massacres and blockade in Gaza, Erdoğan stressed the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding there."Due to Israel’s attacks, the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza has turned into a humanitarian disaster. No person with a conscience can remain silent in the face of such brutality," he said.

The Turkish president said that 80% of Gaza has been destroyed and 95% of the health care infrastructure has been demolished, with more than 2 million Gazans struggling to survive under very difficult conditions amid the rubble, with bombs constantly falling down on them.

"The Israeli government is even blocking the entry of the most basic necessities into Gaza. Due to Israel's blockades and attacks, the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza has turned into a humanitarian disaster. No conscientious person can remain silent in the face of such savagery. People stay silent when babies are sleeping, but not when babies are being killed," he said.

"Like all countries in the region, Israel's security depends on the stability, peace, and prosperity of its neighbors," he said.

The Turkish president also called for shared responsibility among global powers to restore peace in the region.

"I believe that in order to establish peace in the Middle East, everyone, including our allies, must step up and take responsibility," Erdoğan said.

Highlighting Turkey’s contributions to NATO defense cooperation, Erdoğan noted that Ankara has taken the lead in pushing for the removal of barriers to defense industry trade among alliance members.

"As Turkey, we led efforts to include in alliance documents the understanding that barriers to defense industry trade among NATO allies should be lifted," he said.

Touching upon his diplomatic contacts during the NATO summit, including his meeting with Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K.'s Prime Minister Keir Stammer, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Romanian President Nicusor Don and French President Emmanuel Macron, Erdoğan said the meetings addressed the strengthening of bilateral ties with allies and the summit agenda, and Turkey's plan to host next year's NATO summit is confirmed.

On Russia's army leaving Azerbaijan, Erdoğan confirmed tha Russian forces had left and are no longer there.

He said he had recently visited Karabakh, and that Baku is working to make the region livable, investing heavily in infrastructure.

On whether NATO would defend Turkey if a conflict arose between Turkey and Israel, Erdoğan said there is currently no attack on Turkey, which is "a peace-loving" country focused on maintaining regional peace.

Trump ‘sincere’ in push to deliver F-35s to Turkey

Meanwhile, Erdoğan welcomed recent progress in discussions with the United States over the long-disputed delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, saying that he discussed the issue directly with U.S. President Donald Trump during their meeting late Tuesday.

“We made payments of $1.3 to $1.4 billion for F-35s, and we saw that Mr. Trump was well-intentioned about delivering them,” Erdoğan said.

The president also emphasized that increased defense spending by NATO allies was a key outcome of the summit, but warned that budget increases alone would not ensure the alliance's strength.

“Turkey is the NATO ally most affected by terrorism and regional crises,” Erdoğan said. “We’ve made a great breakthrough in our defense industry and are working to enhance deterrence while staying clear of unnecessary conflict.”

He added that many allies were now aligning with Turkey in taking on greater responsibility against shared threats, calling for “mutual understanding and sincere cooperation” to improve NATO’s effectiveness.

“It is not possible to strengthen the alliance solely by increasing defense spending,” he said.

Erdoğan attended the two-day NATO summit in the Netherlands alongside other heads of state, where leaders are discussing regional threats, alliance cohesion, and strategies to bolster NATO’s deterrence posture.

Source: Daily Sabah