Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the Islamic world of failing to respond adequately to Israel’s war on Gaza, urging immediate measures to put pressure on Israel, Deutsche Welle’s Turkish service reported on Monday.
Erdoğan spoke during an extraordinary summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh on Monday, saying that some 50,000 Palestinians, 70 percent of whom were women and children, have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza so far.
On Saturday, the 400th day of the war, the Gaza Ministry of Health announced that at least 43,552 Palestinians have been killed and 102,765 injured, but the actual number of casualties is estimated to be much higher, due to the number of those still missing.
The current Gaza war began with a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 that resulted in the deaths of some 1,200 people, most of them civilians.
“A handful of Western nations supplying Israel with every form of support, from political to economic, military to moral, and the failure of Muslim countries to respond adequately, has allowed the situation to reach this point,” the Turkish president said, adding that it was “exceptionally important” for Muslim countries to continue coordinated efforts to enforce strong measures to put pressure on Israel.
Erdoğan repeated his call for an arms embargo on Israel and a halt to trade. “It’s vital that Israel is isolated in the international arena until its aggression ends,” the president added.
According to a report by Agence France-Presse last week, Turkey’s foreign ministry said it had submitted a letter to the United Nations, signed by 52 countries and two organizations, calling for a halt to arms deliveries to Israel.
Among the signatories were Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Algeria, China, Iran and Russia as well as the Arab League and the OIC. The developments come as Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) government face criticism for continuing trade with Israel despite a ban imposed earlier this year.
Turkish businesses are accused of bypassing a government-imposed trade ban on Israel by routing exports through Palestine.
In May Turkey officially halted all direct trade with Israel in response to mounting domestic criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. However, data indicate that goods previously destined for Israel are now being routed through Palestinian territories. Turkish businesses are reportedly using Palestinian Authority customs to facilitate trade as officials struggle to monitor the final destination of exports once they enter Palestine.
Erdoğan has positioned himself as a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, often criticizing Israel’s actions in the region. Despite this, the economic relationship between Turkey and Israel has remained significant, with bilateral trade reaching $6.3 billion in 2023.
The AKP government also drew criticism for blocking the departure of two ships of Turkish and international humanitarian groups aiming to deliver aid to the Palestinian enclave of Gaza since early August due to “Israeli pressure” and bureaucratic obstacles put in place by the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications.
The Gaza Strip has been under Israeli blockade for 17 years.
Many question the sincerity of Erdoğan and his government’s commitment to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, given the ongoing developments.