ANKARA, April 17. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated that Israel is a terrorist state that committed genocide in the Gaza Strip.

The Turkish president was speaking in parliament at a meeting of the faction of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), local television channels reported.

"Since October 7 [2023], the terrorist state of Israel has been committing genocide in both Gaza and the West Bank. With the support of the West, Israel has been engaged in mass murder that will remain inscribed in shame in human history," the Turkish president said. Erdogan added that he would be receiving the leader of the Palestinian cause at the end of the week, without specifying who exactly he was talking about.

Erdogan reminded that Turkey does not consider the radical Palestinian movement Hamas terrorist. "As we have said before, Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a resistance organization. From the UN tribune we showed how Israel occupied Palestinian lands step by step. We understand that we have to pay a price for this stance. We will continue to stand up for the oppressed Palestinian people. As many as 14,000 children were killed. They [Israel] have already surpassed Hitler," Erdogan said.

The Turkish president also pointed out that "no one has sufficient power or standing to question the sensitivity to the Palestinian cause" that he and the officials of the government have.