See To It That You Keep Your Promises To The People of Palestine - Erdogan Tells Western Powers

In a recent conversation, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized to U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak the importance of Western nations avoiding "provocative steps" that could further escalate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The leaders discussed strategies to establish peace in the region and address the severe humanitarian crisis, as outlined in Ankara’s summary of the call.

Erdoğan urged Western powers to actively oppose human rights violations in Gaza and to honor the promises made to Palestine over the years. It's noteworthy that Erdoğan's rule in Turkey has been influenced by Islamist ideology for the past two decades.

A spokesperson from Sunak’s office, however, did not specifically mention this warning. Instead, they stated that both leaders expressed concerns about the risk of escalating violence in the region and pledged to collaborate in order to prevent further escalation.

They also stressed the importance of facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza and implementing all reasonable measures to safeguard civilians affected by the conflict.

Since Hamas initiated a sudden and violent attack in Israel nine days ago, resulting in the loss of over 1,300 Israeli lives, Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza and launched numerous airstrikes, causing casualties among Palestinians to reach at least 2,750. Erdoğan strongly criticized Israel’s response, denouncing the blockade and ongoing bombings as a "massacre," and urging the international community not to take sides indiscriminately.

The EU has faced internal divisions over how to respond, with leaders torn between unwavering support for Israel and calls for restraint in their actions.

While Sunak has consistently affirmed the U.K.'s solidarity with Israel, he also urged Israel to abide by international law in their response to Hamas attacks, emphasizing the need to take every possible precaution to prevent harm to civilians.

However, the British government’s stance has drawn criticism at home. Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, whose own family is trapped in Gaza, has accused the British government of not valuing Palestinian lives as highly as Israeli ones.

In light of the escalating conflict, Erdoğan has repeatedly expressed willingness to mediate and facilitate peace negotiations in the region.