During the expanded meeting of the heads of the Justice and Development Party branches in the Turkish provinces, held in the capital Ankara, Erdogan explained that "problems still exist in the residential areas that Israel turned into rubble in Gaza" despite the ceasefire being in effect since last October.
Erdogan stressed that the situation of Palestinians in Gaza has worsened with the drop in temperatures and the onset of rain, adding that everyone is anxiously following what is happening in Gaza, from tents being submerged under water due to heavy rains, to children and infants suffering from severe hypothermia due to the bitter cold.
He stated that the agreement in Gaza stipulated the entry of 600 trucks (of aid) daily into the sector, but Israel does not fulfill its commitments even in such a humanitarian matter, and continues to place obstacles and impediments to the entry of humanitarian aid with flimsy pretexts. Despite this, we seek to stand with the oppressed people of Gaza.
Erdogan noted that the 19th Turkish aid ship, carrying 1,300 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza, arrived last week at the port of El Arish in Egypt, and indicated that the total aid sent by Turkey to Gaza during the last two years has approached 105,000 tons.
Erdogan explained that the Palestinians in Gaza need medicine, food, clothing, and fuel for heating, and continued: "Above all, Gaza needs hope, solidarity, and moral support, and for this reason, we will increase our prayers. We will not be satisfied with just praying, but we will increase our aid to Palestine during the three blessed months (Rajab, Sha'ban, and Ramadan)."
On October 10, the first phase of the ceasefire agreement came into effect, while Israel violated some of its terms and delayed moving to the second phase, citing the continued captivity of one of its soldiers in Gaza, even though Palestinian factions continue to search for him amidst the massive destruction left by the Israeli genocide.
The agreement was supposed to end a genocide perpetrated by Tel Aviv over two years starting on October 7, 2023, which resulted in about 71,000 martyrs and more than 171,000 wounded Palestinians, most of them children and women, but Israel continues to this day its violations and its suffocating siege on the sector.
The Turkish president added: “We in Turkey will not back down, we will not remain silent, we will not forget, and we will never leave Gaza alone.” He said: “Throughout our history, we have always been a safe haven for the oppressed. We have opened our doors to all who have been subjected to persecution, contempt, injustice, and massacres, without regard to their religion, language, or origin.”
Erdogan added: “We extended a wing of protection to Jews fleeing the Inquisition, and we embraced Jewish scientists fleeing Nazi persecution.” He continued: “Wherever there were people in distress, from the Caucasus to the Balkans, from Africa to Asia, we rushed to their aid without any hesitation.”
He said: "This is how it was yesterday, this is how it is today, and it will never change in the future," and stressed that the Turkish flag will continue until the Day of Judgment to bring reassurance to grieving hearts, and that this is clearly evident in the history of the country.
The Turkish president added that Turkey, as in the past, stands today on the side of peace and stability, but added: “But this does not mean that we will accept injustice or remain silent about oppression.” He continued: “The statements of those whose hands are stained with the blood of more than seventy thousand of our Palestinian brothers are, in our view, nothing but worthless noise.”
In another matter, Erdogan stressed that Türkiye will not seize anyone’s rights, and will not allow its rights to be violated, whether in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean Sea, or anywhere else.
Regarding the path of "Türkiye without terrorism," Erdogan said: "The atmosphere of pessimism outside our borders has begun to dissipate, and our Arab, Kurdish, Turkmen, Sunni and Shiite brothers have begun to look with hope towards their future."
