UPDATE - Türkiye continues Gaza aid despite Israeli disruptions: Turkish president

ADDS MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH PRESIDENT

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that Türkiye is continuing humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza despite “various disruptions caused by Israel” and warned that regional security is at risk as long as the occupation of Palestine continues.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, Erdogan stressed that no country in the region can be secure while Palestinians continue to bleed and lose their lands.

The Turkish Red Crescent’s 18th Goodwill Ship, carrying roughly 800 tons of aid, including winter blankets, staple foods, and other essential supplies, arrived at Egypt’s al-Arish port on Friday on its way to Gaza. The group also continues to provide hot meals every day to 35,000 people in Gaza and supports hospitals and health operations run by the Palestinian Red Crescent.

A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has been in place since Oct. 10, but Israel continues to violate it daily, causing hundreds of Palestinian casualties. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 69,000 people, most of them women and children, injured over 170,000 others, and left the enclave near uninhabitable.

Erdogan also emphasized that Türkiye promotes peace, justice, stability, and shared prosperity along its southern borders, from Iraq to Syria.

-Military cargo plane crash

On last week’s crash of a Turkish Air Force cargo plane along the Azerbaijan-Georgia border, Erdogan said the reason for the crash will become clearer after an investigation and analysis of the C-130’s black box. He promised the findings will be shared transparently with the public, especially with the families of the victims.

-Cyprus

On hosting newly elected Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Tufan Erhurman in Ankara last week – Erhurman’s first official foreign visit since taking the post – Erdogan said the two leaders discussed potential joint steps toward a fair and lasting solution on Cyprus that reflects the realities on the island. He praised Erhurman for emphasizing in recent messages to the Greek Cypriot side that the sovereign equality of Turkish Cypriots will not be compromised.

He also criticized efforts to revive previously failed proposals for Cyprus, calling them a “waste of time,” and reiterated that a lasting resolution depends on the coexistence of two states. Erdogan said a fair solution based on sovereign equality and equal international status could be achieved if the Greek side demonstrates the same constructive approach Turkish Cypriots have shown from the start.

"On the other hand, no solution built on injustice can endure," he added.