Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said it is not possible for Israel to carry out genocide in such an audacious manner without U.S. military support.
“The U.S. unconditionally supports Israel and we support Palestine,” Fidan told a live broadcast on Wednesday, noting that the two countries diverge on the issue of Palestine.
However, Fidan also said that Türkiye and the U.S. have an understanding regarding a cease-fire in Gaza and are working in this regard.
“I discussed this issue with my U.S. counterpart today and we both agree on the idea that this issue will repeat itself without a two-state solution,” Fidan said, referring to his phone conversation with Antony Blinken earlier in the day.
He told Blinken that Israel’s attacks on Rafah in southern Gaza are unacceptable.
Ankara and Washington are at odds over Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed over 35,000 Palestinians since Hamas’ cross-border attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
Türkiye has been a vocal critic of Israel since the start of the conflict and a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause. It has accused Israel of carrying out war crimes and genocide in Gaza and its Western allies of “being complicit” in them.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan describes Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union, as freedom fighters.
Israel stands accused of "genocide" at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
