The Turkish defence minister has stressed that Türkiye condemns every attack on civilians and civilian populated areas in the ongoing Palestine-Israel war.
On Thursday, during a press brief at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Yasar Guler also emphasised that the release of hostages, preventing the conflict from spreading to other fronts and ending the conflict as soon as possible are Ankara's priorities.
In a dramatic escalation of Middle East tensions, Israeli forces launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against Gaza, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.
On the developments related to Ukraine, Guler reiterated that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been resolutely trying to revive the grain deal that allowed the export of Ukrainian grain to the international markets via the Black Sea.
Guler also said that sanctions and limitations imposed by some countries on Türkiye harm NATO and Ukraine.
About the country's role in the alliance, he stressed that Türkiye greatly contributes to NATO operations, missions as well as command structures.
Türkiye's diplomatic efforts
The Turkish foreign minister on Friday spoke over the phone with his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
During the phone call between Hakan Fidan and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, "the humanitarian situation in Gaza was discussed within the context of recent developments in Israel and Palestine," said Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
The Israel-Palestine conflict escalated into a humanitarian crisis on October 7, after Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, launched Operation Al Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea and air.
Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and illegal Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.
The Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within Gaza in response.
Israel's response has extended to cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.
