Turkish President: Israel Uses Regional Conflict as Excuses for Occupation

“Yemen, Syria, and Iran are merely excuses,” said Erdogan. “The Israeli government produces new justifications daily to legitimize its occupation and invasion policies,” he added, speaking at a ruling party event in Istanbul.

He called on Israel’s unconditional supporters to act "rationally" and stop enabling its actions, Anadolu news agency reported. 

Erdogan also underlined the Palestinian resistance to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians since last Oct. 7, nearly a year ago, when Israeli’s deadly offensive on Gaza began. “Our brothers in Gaza have been resisting Zionist occupiers heroically for 364 days despite all hardships,” he said.

Stressing Turkey's stance, Erdogan said Ankara will continue to support Gaza with all possible means.

“We stand firmly in the same place today as we stood on the first day. We defend the same values today that we defended on the first day,” he said.