President Erdogan Condemns Israeli Actions in Gaza

Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strongly condemned the ongoing situation in Gaza, where Israel has reportedly killed more than 36,000 people since last October. In a powerful address at the 8th Anatolian Media Awards ceremony in Ankara on Wednesday, Erdogan emphasized that reacting to the crisis is a “humanitarian duty.”

“It is our humanitarian duty to the Palestinian people to react to this insane situation, which puts our humanity and our faith to the test,” Erdogan declared.

He sharply criticized Western nations for their perceived indifference to the crisis. “We see that those who have spent years lecturing us on press freedom remain silent regarding the incidents taking place in the occupied Palestinian territory,” Erdogan said. He added, “Those who play deaf, dumb, and blind towards genocide today cannot erase this black mark for the rest of their lives.”

Erdogan praised Türkiye’s premier news agency Anadolu and public broadcaster TRT for their comprehensive coverage of the conflict in Gaza, now a blockaded enclave of 2.3 million people turned into ruins. He accused the international media of maintaining “double standards” in their reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza.

“We are facing such a double standard that those who have killed 150 journalists in just eight months can still talk about press freedom. This is not just inconsistency, but also lack of conscience, principlelessness, injustice, and bias,” he stressed.

Erdogan asserted that those who speak out during difficult times will be vindicated by history and the conscience of humanity. “When we stand up for our Palestinian brothers and sisters, we stand up for humanity as a whole, for freedom, justice, and peace,” he said.

Highlighting Türkiye’s substantial humanitarian efforts, Erdogan noted that Türkiye has provided the most aid to Gaza in the past eight months and has suspended trade with Israel in protest. He affirmed that Türkiye will continue to stand in solidarity with “the oppressed and against the oppressor.”

President Erdogan’s remarks underscore Türkiye’s commitment to addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its resolve to challenge global inaction and double standards.