Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with US President Joe Biden. He argued that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in practice depends on the US.
It was the first conversation between the presidents since October 7, the date of the Hamas attack on Israeli territory, which marked the beginning of Israel’s ongoing invasion of the Gaza Strip.
The Turkish president pointed to the “historic responsibility” of the United States in establishing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the presidential communications office said.
Last week, the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip, drawing sharp criticism from Ankara and others.
Erdogan: Armistice depends on US
After October 7, Erdogan repeatedly criticized the UN Security Council for its bias and lack of appropriate response to the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. After the aforementioned US decision, the Turkish president reiterated that the body whose mission is to establish peace in the world has become the defender of Israel.
The politician said that a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel would be reached very soon if the United States withdrew its “unconditional support” for Israel. He warned in this context that postponing the Israeli military operation could have “negative regional and global consequences.”
Erdogan reiterated his position that it is necessary to resolve the conflict establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem, based on the 1967 borders. The Turkish president has consistently acted as a champion of the Palestinian cause.
Biden’s visit to Israel
A few days after the Hamas attack, the US president was in Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the victims of Palestinian attacks.
During his speech in Tel Aviv, Biden assured the United States’ solidarity with Israel. At the same time, he placed strong emphasis on warning Israelis against “an excessive and hasty response to the Hamas attacks.”
Arab countries, including those with good relations with the US such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, categorically oppose a possible Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip and bombing of the civilian population. This did not deter Tel Aviv and after several weeks of airstrikes the IDF launched a ground operation.
F-16 for Sweden in NATO
According to the Turkish president’s office, Erdogan’s conversation with Biden also touched on bilateral relations, the issue of Sweden’s membership in NATO and the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.
Turkey has long been seeking permission from the US Congress for the purchase of forty F-16 fighter aircraft in the latest version and the possibility of modernizing several dozen older aircraft. Following Erdogan’s recent statement of support for Sweden joining the Alliance, representatives of President Joe Biden’s administration announced that the White House fully supports the sale of fighter jets.
On November 23, President Erdogan sent a ratification request to parliament regarding Sweden’s accession to NATO. The Turkish president promised to send the ratification request to parliament during the NATO summit in Vilnius in July. Authorities in Stockholm said at the time that they had received assurances from Ankara that ratification would take place. For the time being, it is not known when Turkish parliamentarians will vote on this issue.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
