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SvennoJ on 12 May 2024
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Erdogan says US, Europe not doing enough to pressure Israel into Gaza truce

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the US and Europe are not doing enough to pressure Israel to agree a ceasefire in Gaza after Hamas accepted a truce proposal last week.

Speaking to Muslim scholars in Istanbul, Erdogan said Hamas had accepted a proposal from Qatar and Egypt in a “step on the path towards a lasting ceasefire” but Netanyahu’s government did not want the war to end.

“The response of the Netanyahu government was to attack the innocent people in Rafah,” he said. “It has become clear who sides with peace and dialogue and who wants clashes continuing and more bloodshed.

“And did Netanyahu see any serious reaction for his spoiled behaviour? No. Neither Europe nor America showed a reaction that would force Israel into a ceasefire.”

Turkey hits back at Israel criticism of Erdogan

The ministry, in response to a social media post by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz critcising President Erdogan, said the Turkish leader was “unwavering” in his condemnation of Israel’s “inexcusable crimes” against the Palestinian people.

“Turkiye continues to work tirelessly to stop the massacre committed by Israel, taking decisive action to isolate Israel internationally,” it said in a post on X

“Turkiye will continue to shed light on the racist and unjust policies that Israel weaponises against the Palestinian people.”

Leaving Israel a nuclear state could lead to regional arms race: Iran

Top Iranian foreign policy officials have told an Iranian-Arab dialogue forum in Tehran that the only way to a Middle East without nuclear weapons is to disarm Israel.

“We want a region with no nuclear weapons,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said.

Kamal Kharrazi, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, presented Iran’s solution towards that vision and warned of consequences of not realising it.

“This is the solution: Israel is the only country [in the region] to possess nuclear arms, so it must be disarmed. If it is not, a region without nuclear weapons will not be realised and there will be a nuclear race,” said Kharrazi, who said this week that Iran may change its policy of refraining from pursuing a weapon if existentially threatened.