Turkish President calls for independent and sovereign Palestine

Ankara: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Gaza must become an integral part of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state once the Israel-Hamas conflict concludes.

He also stressed Turkey's refusal to endorse any plans that gradually remove Palestinians from history.

Turkey supports a two-state solution and hosts members of Hamas, which differs from the U.S., UK, and Western countries that categorise it as a terrorist organisation. Turkey has been a strong advocate for an immediate ceasefire and has offered to establish a system to ensure it.

In response to growing humanitarian concerns in Gaza, Turkey has escalated its criticism of Israel. Erdogan has reiterated his critique of Western nations for backing Israel, undermining Ankara's trust in the European Union.

Erdogan, during a return flight from Kazakhstan, stated, "Once all of this that is happening is finished, we want to see Gaza as a peaceful region that is a part of an independent Palestinian state, in line with 1967 borders, with territorial integrity, and with East Jerusalem as its capital."

He added, "We will support formulas that will bring peace and calm to the region. We will not be supportive of plans that will further darken the lives of Palestinians, that will gradually erase them from the scene of history," reported Reuters.

While his intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, maintains contact with Israeli and Palestinian authorities, as well as Hamas, Erdogan expressed his refusal to recognise Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a counterpart.

He held Netanyahu responsible for the Gaza situation and declared, "Netanyahu cannot in any way be taken as a counterpart for us anymore. We have erased him, thrown him out."

He also disclosed that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is expected to visit Turkey in late November. Erdogan himself will attend an Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Riyadh this month to discuss a Gaza ceasefire.

Moreover, Turkey intends to support initiatives that ensure accountability for Israel, citing allegations of war crimes and human rights violations. Erdogan believes failing to do so would erode trust in the global system.

In a subsequent development, Turkey announced the recall of its ambassador to Israel, Sakir Ozkan Torunlar, for consultations.

This decision follows Israel's earlier recall of its envoys to Turkey in response to Erdogan's characterisation of Hamas as freedom fighters. This diplomatic move adds to the complexities in Turkey-Israel relations, which had been in the process of repair before the Israel-Hamas conflict.