ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said that his country’s priority is the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and expressed confidence that the oppression in Palestine will come to an end through joint efforts.

His remarks came during a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said in a statement.

Erdogan also highlighted Spain’s "resolute" and "honorable" stance against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the statement said.

About Türkiye’s EU membership bid, it said: "President Erdogan noted that there has been no deviation from Türkiye’s goal of European Union membership, and that constructive steps from the European Union are expected to revive the accession process."

He emphasized that Ankara continues its efforts to bring an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia and highlighted that prisoner exchanges, which were addressed during the talks held in Istanbul between the two sides, are considered by Türkiye as “important confidence-building steps.”

Erdogan also stressed that "the opportunity to end the war should not be wasted," the statement said.

The Turkish president also said that efforts are ongoing to increase the trade volume between Türkiye and Spain, and that “both countries will continue to strive to advance cooperation in many areas, particularly in the defense industry and transportation," it added.