President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted the importance of Palestinian unity, as he held discussions with Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on Saturday.
The closed-door meeting took place at the Dolmabahçe Office, with the participation of delegations from Türkiye and Hamas.
The discussions focused on Israeli attacks against Palestinians in Gaza and Palestinian territories, the delivery of sufficient and uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Gaza, as well as a fair and sustainable peace in the region.
President Erdoğan said it is vital for Palestinians to act in unity, which he said would be the strongest response to Israel. He also said the truth about Palestinians and their rightful cause needs to be conveyed more to the global community against Israel and its false propaganda.
"It is vital that Palestinians act with unity in this process. The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity," he said.
Noting that Türkiye continues to strive to draw the global community’s attention to the oppression of Palestinians, Erdoğan said Ankara also urges an immediate and permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
Erdoğan has harshly criticized Israel and accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing a "massacre” since the latter launched a deadly military offensive on Gaza after an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Palestinian resistance group Hamas, in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.
Comparing Hamas’ struggle to the Turkish War of Independence 100 years ago, Erdoğan said, “We are well aware of the cost of saying this but the world must know the truth.”
Stressing that no one can question Türkiye's sensitivity to the Palestinian issue, Erdoğan said that the Palestinian cause gave his life new meaning.
“I will fight for the Palestinian cause and be the voice of oppressed Palestinian people even if I am left alone,” he declared.
Palestinian resistance group Hamas welcomed Erdoğan's remarks.
Erdoğan’s government maintains links with Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip. Unlike some European countries and the United States, Türkiye does not classify Hamas as a terrorist organization.
On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also met with Haniyeh in Doha to discuss the latest Gaza conflict, according to diplomatic sources.
Fidan and Haniyeh along with his delegation deliberated on issues concerning humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, cease-fire, as well as hostages, the sources added.
Flouting the International Court of Justice’s provisional ruling, Israel continues its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where at least 34,049 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 76,901 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. 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.
Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe.
