In a recent development, Turkey slammed Israel’s obstruction of its effort to deliver aid to Gaza via air drop.
The Turkish airforce had sought to distribute humanitarian assistance as part of a relief operation using cargo planes.
Expressing dismay, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated, “Today we learned that our request… was rejected by Israel. There is no excuse for Israel to block our attempt to airlift aid to starving Gazans.”
Fidan went on to announce Turkey’s plan to introduce a range of retaliatory actions against Israel.
These measures, endorsed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who strongly advocates for the Palestinian cause, will be unveiled by the relevant authorities.
Stressing the strategic approach, Fidan emphasized that the retaliations would be methodically rolled out “step by step” and promptly initiated.
He added, “These measures will remain in effect until Israel declares a ceasefire and facilitates uninterrupted humanitarian aid access to Gaza.”
President Erdogan, known for his severe criticisms of Israel’s Gaza offensive, has spared no words in his condemnation. He has labeled Israel as a “terrorist state” and likened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. Erdogan has also described Hamas, recognized as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and the European Union, as “a liberation group”.
