After attending the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization Summit in Fuzuli, Azerbaijan, President Erdoğan spoke to the press during his return flight.
Erdoğan stated:
"Gaza has no time to lose humanity is gasping for breath there."
Forcing people into starvation and raining bombs on them cannot be ignored. This is inhumane. We are working hard to secure an immediate ceasefire and ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza effectively. Türkiye has never ceased its diplomatic efforts, and we are discussing the severity of the humanitarian crisis with all our counterparts."
Erdoğan also mentioned his recent talk with former U.S. President Donald Trump during the NATO Leaders Summit in The Hague, stating:
"I urged him to get involved in the Gaza situation. I said, 'You're the one who can manage this process best with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.'"
On defense and Türkiye's F-35 request, Erdoğan said:
"We seek the F-35s primarily for our national security. This issue is not just about military technology, but about strong partnerships in platforms like NATO. Yet, this situation pushed us to accelerate our domestic defense initiatives. Our efforts to strengthen our security infrastructure pose no threat to anyone — especially not to our allies."
He concluded by noting that NATO's recent summit urged all member states to enhance their defense capabilities, adding:
"Greece's concerns over our defense steps are unfounded and meaningless."
