Turkish PM to speak to Obama over Gaza strikes
ISTANBUL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. AA photo
Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will speak on the phone with U.S. President
Barack Obama to discuss the ongoing strikes on Gaza by Israel, daily Hürriyet
has reported.
“We
stand by our Gazan friends here as the Turkish government,” Erdoğan said today,
adding that Israel had started striking Gaza and killing innocent people using
fictional excuses ahead of elections, as had happened prior to the 2008
election.
“I
will have a phone conversation with Obama. I will share these thoughts with
him,” he said.
Erdoğan
also said the U.N. Security Council and the dominant world powers should try to
dissuade Israel from launching further attacks on Gaza, adding that no
relationship existed between Turkey and Israel anymore.
“The
U.N. Security Council is the best place to confront Israel, and countries that
have relations with Israel should meet it too. We do not have any relations to
meet Israel,” he said.
Turkey
has also requested a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdoğan
added.
