President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the ongoing humanitarian crisis and Israeli attacks on Gaza, Türkiye-Spain relations and other developments with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday, the Communications Directorate said.
Erdoğan told Sanchez that Israel's massacres against Palestinians must be immediately halted and Tel Aviv needs to be forced to abide by international law.
Israeli airstrikes targeted a camp for the displaced Palestinians in the Rafah safe zone, killing at least 45 civilians, mostly women and children, who burned to death.
The president also said Türkiye welcomes Spain's decision to recognize Palestine's statehood. He said this step would contribute to the facilitation of peace and justice in the region, as well as efforts for a two-state solution.
Last week, Sanchez said that Spain's council of ministers would recognize an independent Palestinian state on May 28.
The announcement came around the same time that the Irish and Norwegian leaders announced they would do the same on the same date.
In his speech, Sanchez said he has been talking to leaders and studying the situation in Palestine and understands one thing clearly: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Netanyahu does not have a peace project for Palestine."
Sanchez said that the Israeli leader is refusing to listen to the international community as he continues to bomb civilian infrastructure and block desperately needed aid.
Around 144 out of 193 member-states of the United Nations recognize Palestine as a state, including most of the global south, Russia, China and India. But only a handful of the 27 EU members have done so so far, mostly former Communist countries as well as Sweden and the Greek Cypriot administration.
Britain, Australia and EU member Malta have indicated in recent months that they could soon follow suit.
Recognition of a Palestinian state is still opposed for now by Israel's closest ally the United States, which has the power to veto it at the United Nations and did so last month.
Washington says it favors Palestinian statehood eventually, but only as a result of negotiations with Israel, a position it shares with European powers including France and Germany.
No negotiations over Palestinian statehood have taken place since the last round of talks collapsed a decade ago.
Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza in retaliation for the Oct. 7 incursion by Hamas, which killed around 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages.
Israel's operations in the Palestinian enclave have killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Israel claimed recognizing Palestinian statehood now would effectively reward Hamas for its attacks.
Spain and its allies have spent months lobbying European nations, including France, Portugal, Belgium and Slovenia, to garner support for the recognition of a Palestinian state.
