President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed Spain for its "principled and honorable" stance against Israel's genocidal attacks in Gaza, as he emphasized Türkiye's priority of ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave, as he met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday in Istanbul.
The two leaders discussed bilateral relations, regional conflicts, and global issues, according to an official readout of the meeting.
Erdoğan welcomed Sanchez with an official ceremony before their talks, which covered efforts to deepen cooperation in defense, transportation, and other strategic sectors. The Turkish president noted that both countries are working to boost trade volume and expand ties across multiple fields.
Sanchez, a vocal critic of Israel's violations in Gaza, has repeatedly urged world leaders to increase pressure on Israel to end what he described as a “massacre,” using all avenues available under international law.
Sanchez said his government plans to introduce a United Nations resolution requesting the International Court of Justice to assess the legality of Israel's wartime conduct.
He added that the “unacceptable number” of casualties in Gaza constitutes a violation of the “principle of humanity.”
He expressed confidence that joint international efforts could help end the suffering in Palestine.
On Türkiye's long-standing goal of joining the European Union, Erdoğan reaffirmed that there has been no deviation from this objective and called for constructive steps from Brussels to revitalize the accession process.
The Turkish president also addressed the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, highlighting Ankara’s continued diplomatic efforts to help bring the conflict to an end. Erdoğan pointed to the prisoner exchanges mediated during earlier rounds of talks in Istanbul as a critical confidence-building measure and warned against squandering emerging opportunities for peace.
The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and Chief Foreign Policy and Security Adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç.
