Turkey’s Erdogan urges Palestinian unity after meeting Hamas chief
Al Jazeera
The ‘strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity’, Turkish president says.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged Palestinians to unite amid Israel’s war in Gaza, following hours-long talks with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul, according to his office.
Ankara has repeatedly slammed Israel’s incursion into Gaza amid its failed attempts to stop the conflict, which has roiled the Middle East since October 7 last year.
Tensions in the region are running high as Gaza braces for a new Israeli offensive on the southernmost city of Rafah and after a reported Israeli attack on Iran on Friday.
“It is vital that Palestinians act with unity in this process. The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity,” Erdogan said on Saturday after the talks at the Dolmabahce Palace, according to a Turkish presidency statement.
As soaring tensions between Iran and Israel stoke fears of a wider regional war, Erdogan said recent events should not allow Israel to “gain ground and that it is important to act in a way that keeps attention on Gaza”.
