President Erdogan said it was "impossible to have dialogue" with Benjamin Netanyahu because Türkiye opposes Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip.
"I can no longer consider Benjamin Netanyahu as a partner. Netanyahu is someone we can no longer talk to. We have removed his name from the list of useful contacts. However, Türkiye cannot completely cut off relations with Israel, especially in the current international diplomatic context," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told national media on November 4.
He stressed that the Gaza conflict was a direct result of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's policies. He said that the head of the Israeli government had also lost the trust of the Israeli people.
"He should accept to step back and end the war," President Erdogan said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a pro-Palestinian event in Isranbul on October 28. Photo: AFP
Ankara hopes that the Gaza Strip after the Israel-Hamas war will become a peaceful zone and "become part of the territory of an independent Palestinian State". President Erdogan affirmed that Türkiye will support efforts to bring peace and stability to the region.
"We reject all plans that threaten the lives of the Palestinian people, as well as plots to erase this nation from history," Erdogan warned.
Mr Erdogan has appointed intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin as a special envoy to mediate negotiations between Israel, Palestine and Hamas to find a solution to end the Gaza Strip conflict.
On November 4, Türkiye recalled Ambassador Sakir Ozkan Torunlar to Israel for consultations over the humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip and condemned Israel's targeting of Palestinian civilians. Tel Aviv responded that Ankara "continues to side with Hamas."
Israel said last week it would reassess its Tel Aviv-Ankara relationship over Türkiye's response to the war, after Erdogan said Hamas was "not terrorists" but "liberators" fighting for their land. Israel also withdrew all its diplomats from Türkiye and the Middle East over security concerns.
Thanh Danh (According to AFP, Reuters )
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