President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed Türkiye-Brazil relations, steps to be taken against Israel's massacres in Gaza and global developments with Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in Italy on Friday, the Presidential Communications Directorate said.
Erdoğan told Lula that Israel has been isolated due to its massacres in Gaza and that more pressure needs to be put on Tel Aviv to end its oppression of Palestinians.
The two leaders also focused on bilateral ties, the directorate said.
Erdoğan and Lula's meeting comes two days after the top diplomats of both countries held a meeting in Türkiye when Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara appreciates Brazil's stance on Gaza.
Brazil has opposed Israel's attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7. Erdoğan previously said Brazil’s firm stance on Israeli violence committed on Palestinian territories is praiseworthy, as Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva himself has been a harsh critic of Israel’s military campaign on Gaza.
Last month, Türkiye announced it was preparing to submit its declaration of official intervention in the genocide case, becoming the first Muslim state and third nation after Nicaragua and Colombia to take legal action against Israel over its offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed at least 36,000 Palestinians, injured nearly 80,000 and forcibly displaced more than 2 million people.
Ankara has harshly denounced Israel’s attacks and blockade on Gaza, halted all trade with Tel Aviv, called for an immediate cease-fire and criticized what it calls unconditional support for Israel by the West.
In its interim ruling issued in January, the ICJ found it “plausible” that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, ordering it to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee aid flow to civilians, but Israel has steadily ignored the World Court.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday joined the G-7 leaders summit as an invitee.
Arriving from Madrid, Erdoğan was welcomed in Borgo Egnazia by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni before he met with other G-7 leaders.
The president is accompanied by first lady Emine Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Chief Foreign Policy and Security Adviser to the President Ambassador Akif Çağatay Kılıç and Vice President of Communications Çağatay Özdemir.
