ISTANBUL 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sharply criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and called on Germany to join efforts to end the humanitarian crisis during a joint press conference on Thursday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ankara.

Merz, who formed Germany’s new coalition government in May, is on his inaugural visit to the Turkish capital.

The Turkish president said he could not agree with earlier remarks by the German chancellor supporting Israel, adding that Israel’s attacks have killed nearly 60,000 people, including children, women, and the elderly.

Erdogan said the Palestinian group Hamas “has neither bombs nor nuclear weapons, but Israel does,” adding that Israel used them to strike Gaza yesterday. “Germany, don’t you see this?” he asked.

The Turkish leader said he conveyed Ankara’s views to Merz on preventing renewed atrocities in Gaza and stressed support for a two-state solution as a path to lasting peace.

“Just as we want the Russia-Ukraine war to end, we also support an end to Israel's war on Gaza,” Erdogan said. “Türkiye and Germany are two key countries that can join hands to achieve this.”

He said Türkiye has consistently taken the necessary steps regarding the Palestinian group Hamas. “My foreign minister, defense minister, and intelligence teams are working continuously to prevent any problems.”

“We are ready to cooperate closely. My ministers have received instructions and are actively engaging with the relevant parties and will continue to do so,” he said.

'Continued aid deliveries to Gaza essential'

Erdogan further condemned Israel’s ongoing assaults on Gaza, saying it has “always sought to subdue (the territory) through starvation and what amounts to genocide, and this continues to this day.”

Israel has killed more than 68,500 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,600 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.    

He said Türkiye’s Red Crescent has been unable to deliver food aid to Gaza, and that the Red Cross there also remains under constant threat. “So far, we have sent over 100,000 tons of food aid, but it is not enough. Continued aid deliveries are essential.”

"We need to end the genocide and the deliberate starvation (in Gaza) by involving Germany’s Red Cross and our own Turkish Red Crescent,” he added.