Türkiye will not yield to pro-Israel lobbying: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Türkiye is aware of those supporting Israel and will not yield to the lobbies backing Tel Aviv.

"We're aware of who supports Israel and the lobbies behind them. We haven't yielded to these lobbies until now, and we won't in the future," said Erdogan during an iftar program in Istanbul on Saturday.

"Except for Türkiye and a few other countries, there is hardly any actor raising voice against Israel and its Western supporters," he stressed.

Alongside the Palestinian people, all the innocent people around the world have been witness to Türkiye's efforts, he said.

Hospitals and health workers, as well as places of worship, are deliberately targeted by occupying forces in Gaza, Erdogan pointed out.

"We do not take into account those who label our Palestinian brothers resisting oppression as terrorists," Erdogan added.

Mass destruction, crippling blockade

More than 32,100 Palestinians have been killed and over 72,400 others injured since October 7 amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85 percent of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.