President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday condemned the United States for a proposal to force the Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
"No power can force the people of Gaza out of their eternal and everlasting homeland that they have inhabited for thousands of years. Palestine, including Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, belongs to the Palestinians," Erdoğan told reporters in Istanbul before flying to Malaysia.
The U.S. administration's proposals on Gaza, made under pressure from the Zionist regime, are not worth talking about, said Erdoğan, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians.
"These efforts are totally futile and serve no purpose," he said.
Erdoğan also hailed the Palestinian group Hamas for fulfilling its promises in ongoing prisoner exchanges with Israel, despite Israeli attempts to undermine the process.
Türkiye is a staunch supporter of the resistance movement Hamas and has repeatedly denounced Israel's "genocide" of Palestinians since 2023.
Regarding the situation in Syria, Erdoğan said that as mass graves are uncovered in different parts of the country, the bloody face of the Assad regime is being exposed.
He expressed hope for Syria's stability under President Ahmed al-Sharaa's leadership, suggesting the country would soon find peace.
After the speech, Erdoğan responded to questions from journalists regarding the potential for peace in Ukraine, particularly after the arrival of Trump.
He expressed optimism, saying, "Of course, we have not lost hope for peace at this moment, and we do not want to lose it."
He also noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had indicated his readiness to meet if such a request arose.
Erdoğan also welcomed messages from both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling them positive and stressing Türkiye's willingness to play a role in facilitating peace.
"Whatever is required of us, we are ready to do it as Türkiye," he said.
In addition to discussing the war in Ukraine, Erdoğan addressed questions about Türkiye's stance on the presence of terrorist organizations in Syria.
There is no place for terrorist groups in Syria, he said, asserting that the struggle that President al-Sharaa is leading there is against terrorist groups.
"Terrorist organizations must end their activities in Syrian territory either by laying down their weapons or being made to do so. We discussed this clearly with Mr. al-Sharaa," he added.
