Erdogan to Biden: Israel is not interested in a ceasefire in Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued his attacks on Israel, telling US President Joe Biden in a conversation on Thursday that Israel is not interested in a ceasefire in Gaza, the Anadolu news agency reported.

According to the report, Erdogan told Biden in a telephone call that the elimination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh "dealt a heavy blow" to efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Turkish President also claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has shown "at every step" that it does not want a ceasefire and peace, and his recent address to the US Congress prompted "deep disappointment" in Turkey and the world.

He also claimed that “Israel is working to spread the fire in Gaza to the entire region,” according to Erdogan.

Prior to the war in Gaza which was prompted by Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, Turkey had been working to mend its long-strained ties with Israel.

However, since the start of the war, Erdogan has resumed his frequent verbal attacks on Israel.

In one speech, the Turkish President said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “committed one of the greatest atrocities of this century in Gaza and has already put his name down in history as the butcher of Gaza."

Last month, the Turkish President called on NATO to stop its cooperation with Israel. In response, Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote, “Erdogan declares at the NATO summit that he will not allow NATO to cooperate with Israel.”

“First of all, Erdogan, you decide nothing. Furthermore, a country like Turkey, which supports the murderers and rapists of Hamas and the Iranian axis of evil, should not be a member of NATO,” added Katz. “You disgrace Ataturk's legacy!”

Earlier this week, Erdogan threatened to invade Israel, saying, "We must be strong so Israel won't be able to do these things to the Palestinians. Just as we entered Karabakh and Libya, we will do the same to Israel. There's nothing left to do, we must be strong."

In response, Minister Katz wrote on X, “Erdogan is following in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein and threatens to attack Israel. He should remember what happened there and how it ended.”

Erdogan then continued to lash out at Israel, claiming that Israel "committed acts of barbarism that will outshine and that "Gaza has become the world's largest concentration camp."