President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday urged the parties in the U.S.-Israel-Iran war to proceed with cease-fire talks. “You can’t negotiate with clenched fists; the window of opportunity for a cease-fire should be taken advantage of,” he told the parliamentary group meeting of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Ankara.
“Israel is not satisfied with the cease-fire. It should not be allowed to undermine the process,” he said.
Erdoğan also hit back at the Israeli administration, particularly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insulted the Turkish president on social media. “Nobody can wag a finger at Türkiye,” he said.
The Turkish leader said that Türkiye is making the "necessary appeals and initiatives" to reduce tensions, extend the cease-fire, and continue talks over the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
"The Israeli government, which is known to be unhappy with the cease-fire process, must not be allowed to sabotage it," Erdoğan added.
Erdoğan also praised Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, saying he "congratulates from the heart my dear friend Sanchez, who has taken a firm stance against the threats of butcher Netanyahu in Gaza."
Regarding regional stability, he said: "If there is to be peace in our region, it will be despite the Zionist regime. If stability is achieved, it will again be despite the Israeli government."
"We will continue to call the oppressor an oppressor, the pirate a pirate, and the killer a killer, and to be the voice of the children of Gaza and to listen to the cries of mothers whose hearts are burning," he added.
Erdoğan said Türkiye would also "continue to defend the rights of our brothers whose lands are occupied in the West Bank and to be the follower of the cause of children killed in their sleep in Lebanon."
"We are always ready to be the voice of peace and to lead peace efforts with the principle of peace at home, peace in the region, and peace in the world," he stressed.
Addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's criticism directed at him and Türkiye, Erdoğan said: "I remind the ‘baby killers' who speak against me and our country of some facts: The Republic of Türkiye is not an ordinary state."
Türkiye is a steadfast supporter of the Palestinian cause and often voices opposition to the genocide being committed by Israel, with which it has cut off ties. The principled stand against the genocide in Gaza and aggressive expansionism by Israel in Lebanon and elsewhere gave rise to further hostility against Türkiye by the Netanyahu administration. The Israeli prime minister often targets Erdoğan through social media posts while pro-Netanyahu media outlets in Israel speculate that the two countries may engage in an all-out conflict in the near future.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday slammed Netanyahu for remarks targeting Erdogan, saying targeting the Turkish leader is a result of "the discomfort caused by the truths we have expressed on every platform."
Netanyahu, who is called the Adolf Hitler of this era due to his crimes, is known for his records, said the ministry in a statement. Noting the arrest warrant that has been issued for Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the statement warned about Netanyahu's attempts, which aim to undermine the ongoing peace talks and continue his expansionist policies in the region. The statement further reiterated Türkiye's determination in its efforts to hold Netanyahu accountable for his crimes, along with supporting innocent civilians.
To the applause of the AK Party supporters, Erdoğan delivered a lengthy speech peppered with verses from the national anthem, challenging Israel's threats.
He stated that their calm and prudent demeanor should not be mistaken for weakness, emphasizing that they would consider it a great honor to lie beneath the soil with dignity rather than live dishonorably above it. “We are the children of a heroic nation whose National Anthem begins with ‘Do not fear."
Erdoğan underlined that humanity’s longing for peace, stability, security and a measure of tranquility is being undermined by circles that thrive on bloodshed and chaos, adding that the most recent example is the unlawful war that began on Feb 28 and brought the region to the brink. He stated that over time, it has become clear who wanted the war, who provoked it and who profited from it. The president said their early assessment regarding the role of the Zionist lobby has proven justified.
Netanyahu's remarks on social media have accused Türkiye of "massacring Kurds."
Erdoğan hit back at the allegation while touting the terror-free Türkiye initiative. The initiative, launched by Türkiye two years ago, aims to disarm the PKK terrorist group, which has killed tens of thousands of people since the 1980s under the pretext of fighting for the rights of Türkiye's Kurdish community.
Erdoğan highlighted that the Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood was "a thousand-year-old" and noted that the terror-free Türkiye initiative was the nation's "best line of defense for unity at a time of exposure of dirty plots," he said.
"Those disturbed by the initiative no longer hide their opposition. Those with the blood of 73,000 Gazans in their hands are not ashamed of defaming our country by using the name of our Kurdish brothers."
