ISTANBUL: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called for an alliance of Islamic countries to counter what he describes as Israel’s state terrorism and “growing threat of expansionism.”
Erdogan’s remarks came following reports from Palestinian and Turkish officials about the death of a Turkish-American woman by Israeli troops during a protest against settlement expansion in the West Bank on Friday.
Erdogan asserted that only a united front of Islamic nations could halt “Israeli arrogance, Israeli banditry, and Israeli state terrorism.” He made this statement during an event for an Islamic schools’ association near Istanbul.
In recent diplomatic moves, Turkiye has sought to improve relations with Egypt and Syria to form a collective stance against regional expansionism that Erdogan claims threatens Lebanon and Syria.
This week, Erdogan hosted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Ankara, marking the first presidential visit in 12 years. The two leaders discussed the Gaza conflict and ways to strengthen their ties.
Turkiye has also signaled a willingness to restore relations with Syria, with Erdogan stating in July that he is open to inviting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for talks. Relations between Turkiye and Syria were severed in 2011 due to the Syrian civil war.
The Israeli military is investigating the incident involving the Turkish-American woman, with initial reports suggesting she was killed by gunfire in the West Bank.
There has been no immediate comment from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office regarding the situation.
