Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again reiterated his call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, saying it is the only way to pay debt to slain Palestinian children.
"We all owe a debt to the murdered Palestinian children, and this debt can only be paid through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," President Erdogan on Tuesday told ambassadors in Ankara during an iftar, or the evening meal to break fast in the holy month of Ramadan.
The president said Türkiye will protect its Palestinian brothers, as it has done thus far, and will not back down.
"They cannot stop us from referring to the murderer as a murderer. Instead of attempting to conceal the truth of the genocide, Israeli leaders must answer for the babies who are killed in Gaza," he added.
Mass destruction of Gaza
More than 31,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the October 7, 2023 Hamas incursion, which killed 1,200 people and took around 250 as hostages.
The military onslaught has led to mass destruction, displacement and shortages of necessities in the besieged territory, with children also dying of malnutrition and dehydration.
Israel also stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Newly appointed ambassadors
Before the iftar dinner, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received letters of credentials from the newly appointed ambassadors of five countries.
At the presidential complex in the capital Ankara, Erdogan separately welcomed Blerta Kadzadej of Albania, Henry S. Bensurto of the Philippines, Theodoros Bizakis of Greece, Didace NTureka of Burundi and Jeong Yeon-doo of the Republic of Korea.
After the credentials were presented, Erdogan separately met with the new envoys.
