ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that a “bloodthirsty network” continues to target schools and hospitals in Iran and Lebanon as it has done in Gaza.

“A bloodthirsty network continues striking schools and hospitals in Iran and Lebanon as it did in Gaza,” Erdogan said at an iftar event held for the March 14 Medicine Day at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Medicine.

Speaking about the escalating regional tensions, Erdogan said Türkiye stands among the countries advocating reason, dialogue, and diplomacy.

“Against this state of madness, Türkiye is among the leading countries defending humanity, advocating reason, and seeking solutions to crises through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.

Referring to the humanitarian toll of the conflict in Gaza, Erdogan said the world has witnessed scenes where human life is disregarded and civilians, including babies in incubators and children sent to school with smiles, have been killed in bombings.

He said during the Gaza war, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers were also targeted, with nearly 1,700 healthcare personnel killed as a result of Israel's "state terror."

Regional tensions have flared since Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and more than 150 children at a girls' elementary school.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting “US military assets.”

'Türkiye's approach is guided by humanitarian values and justice'

Erdogan said Türkiye’s approach to regional developments is guided by humanitarian values and justice rather than geopolitical or economic interests.

“We will maintain our humanitarian stance that looks at events not through the value of oil, gold, natural gas, or minerals, but through the lens of justice, compassion, mercy, and human dignity,” he said.

Speaking about the value of human life, Erdogan also cited Verse 32 of Surah Al-Ma’idah in the Quran, which states that saving a life is akin to saving all humanity.

He emphasized that Türkiye’s governing philosophy places the protection of human life at its core, recalling the principle, "Let the people live so that the state may live.”