World must stop Israel’s banditry, Erdoğan urges after Iran attack
ANKARA
The international community must act to bring an end to Israeli banditry that risks dragging the region into a more dangerous situation, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, condemning its attacks against Iran.
“Israel’s attacks on our neighbor Iran are a blatant provocation that disregards international law,” Erdoğan said in a statement through his social media on June 13 in his first reaction after Israel hit Iran’s nuclear facilities and senior military leadership.
“As of this morning, Israel has taken its strategy of drowning our region, especially Gaza, in blood, tears and instability to a very dangerous stage,” he stated.
President Erdoğan stressed that these attacks came at a moment when diplomatic efforts to resolve the nuclear dispute have intensified and international pressure on Gaza have amounted.
“[The] Netanyahu government’s reckless, lawless and aggressive actions threaten to plunge the region and the world into disaster. The international community must put an end to the Israeli banditry that targets global and regional stability,” Erdoğan added.
Before Erdoğan’s statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry also condemned the Israeli attacks.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the Israeli airstrike on Iran. This attack, which constitutes a blatant violation of international law, is a provocation that serves Israel's strategic destabilization policy in the region,” read a written statement by the ministry.
Recalling international efforts to resolve the problems between Iran and the Western powers over the former’s nuclear program through diplomatic means, Ankara has accused Tel Aviv of nixing them.
“The timing of the strikes, which occurred during intensified negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, clearly indicates that the Netanyahu government is unwilling to resolve any issue through diplomatic means and does not hesitate to risk regional stability and global peace for its own interests,” it said.
Israel must immediately cease its aggressive actions that could lead to broader conflicts, Ankara warned.
“We reiterate that we do not want to see any more bloodshed and destruction in the Middle East. We call on the international community to take urgent action to prevent the spread of war,” read the statement by the ministry.
In the meantime, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz slammed Israel’s attacks on Iran through a written statement on his social media account.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the Netanyahu government’s illegitimate aggression that aims to disrupt regional stability,” said Yılmaz, calling this attack yet another provocative action by Israel.
Offering Türkiye’s condolences to Iran for its losses, Yılmaz described Israel’s attacks as barbaric and against human values. “International organizations and all relevant countries should take a stronger stance against Israeli actions that threaten human values, law and regional stability,” he stated.
In the meantime, Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel also slammed Israel for attacking Iran and called on the Turkish government to take more decisive actions against Israel.
“We invite the international community to be more sensitive and act on this issue. We also want Türkiye to abandon its softer, tolerant and encouraging stance on Israel,” he told reporters on June 13 in Manisa.
