Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, held a phone call with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. During the conversation, they discussed bilateral relations between Türkiye and Brazil as well as global and regional issues.
Erdoğan praised Brazil's commendable stance in the face of the brutality Israel is imposing on Palestinian territories, emphasizing the need to increase efforts for establishing a lasting ceasefire and delivering humanitarian aid to the region.
Erdoğan pointed out that despite Hamas accepting the ceasefire, Israel continues to escalate attacks and atrocities. He stressed the importance of supporting initiatives related to the recognition of the State of Palestine at this point.
Erdoğan mentioned that Türkiye closely monitors the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and proposed working towards negotiations to establish a fair peace based on rights and laws.
During the conversation, Erdoğan expressed his condolences and sympathy to President da Silva for the loss of lives due to the severe rainfall and resulting floods and landslides in Brazil, affirming Türkiye's solidarity with the Brazilian people.
Israel has pounded Gaza in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas which killed less than 1,200 people.
Since Oct. 7, more than 34,900 Palestinians, including at least 15,002 children and 9,893 women, have been killed, and 78,514 people injured in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Over seven months into the Israeli onslaught, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
