Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that no one should expect Turkey to remain silent about what is happening in the Gaza Strip.
In a speech in Ankara, Erdogan said there was no difference between the children of Gaza, Palestine, Israel and Syria in Turkey's eyes. He added that Turkey should intensify its efforts with Egypt to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Erdogan said on Thursday in a speech in Ankara that Western countries do not abide by international law regarding Gaza because "the blood shed is the blood of Muslims," adding that Israeli attacks on Gaza are "barbaric."
He denounced the Europeans' failure to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, asking: How many children must die in order for the European Commission to demand a ceasefire? How many bombs must fall on Gaza for the UN Security Council to intervene?
The attacks on Gaza had already gone beyond self-defence and had turned into brutality, cruelty, massacre and open barbarism.
Unfortunately, those who claim to be civilized only watch this brutality, as the European Commission came out yesterday to say that it cannot call for a ceasefire.
He stressed that those who pay lip service to human rights and freedoms have been ignoring the right to life of the oppressed people of Gaza for 19 days.
On the other hand, Erdogan pointed out that the total relief materials sent by Turkey to Egypt to deliver them to Gaza exceeds 200 tons. No one can expect us to remain silent at a time when injustice is happening before our eyes.
Phone call with the Pope
The Turkish presidency also said Erdogan told Pope Francesco in a phone call on Thursday that Israel's attacks on Gaza amounted to a massacre and that the silence of the international community was "shameful."
In the statement, the Turkish presidency quoted Erdogan as saying in the call that all countries should raise their voice against the humanitarian crisis in the region.
A Vatican spokesman said in a note that the call took place in the morning at Erdogan's request.
"The Pope expressed his pain at what is happening, reaffirmed the position of the Holy See, and expressed his hope for a two-state solution and recognition of a special status for the city of Jerusalem," the spokesman added.
Erdogan on Wednesday accused Israel of carrying out the most brutal attack in history during its more than two-week-old war on the Gaza Strip.
The Turkish president called for an urgent ceasefire and the opening of an urgent humanitarian corridor for the unhindered entry of aid to the Gaza Strip, and pointed out that his country sent field hospitals with generators to the Strip, stressing that their arrival should not be prevented.
Erdogan has said in other statements that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is not a terrorist organization, but a liberation movement and a mujahideen group that struggles to protect and liberate its land and people.
Erdogan denounced Western support for the Israeli war, saying Israel could not continue in this way even if the United States and the West stood by it.