Faruk Zorlu
12 February 2024•Update: 12 February 2024
ANKARA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday announced that the ongoing crisis in Gaza will be the central focus of his visits this week to both the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
"We will pay visits this week to the UAE and Egypt. The escalating Israeli attacks on Gaza will undoubtedly top the agenda in both countries," Erdogan said after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.
Erdogan also accused Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu government of imitating Hitler and crossing the line in new ways every day in "its brutal policy of massacres since Oct. 7," when the recent conflict in Gaza began.
Erdogan will visit the UAE on Monday and Tuesday and then Egypt on Wednesday. He will attend the World Government Summit, held in Dubai on Tuesday, as the guest of honor, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
"In addition to bilateral discussions, we will also hold meetings with other heads of state and government in attendance," Erdogan added.
Following the UAE, President Erdogan will proceed to Cairo in response to an invitation from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, he said, adding the during the visit, he and el-Sisi will discuss various topics including the economy, trade, tourism, energy, and defense.
Condemning Israel's aggression towards the southern Gaza city of Rafah, including a planned offensive, he said the reason for Israel's audacity is the "hypocritical policy of Western powers."
"While Western powers publicly urge restraint from Israel, they turn a blind eye to Netanyahu's atrocities, hiding behind the excuse of Hamas," he said.
Erdogan also stressed the importance of eradicating terrorism, saying: "The eradication of terrorism on (Türkiye's southern borders) is also crucial for the Development Road Project we plan to implement with Iraq," referring to a planned new trade corridor.
Additionally, he reiterated Türkiye's stance on not allowing the establishment of a "terror corridor" along its southern borders, saying Türkiye will not permit the creation of a "terroristan" on its southern borders at any cost.
He also affirmed Ankara's commitment to continuing operations against terrorist group members.
Speaking days after a period for possible objections from the US Congress passed without incident, Erdogan also voiced satisfaction on the positive outcome of Ankara's longstanding F-16 negotiations with the US, seeking a number of latest generation F-16s as well as upgrade kits for earlier models.
