ISTANBUL, February 14. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he expects US leader Donald Trump to fulfill the promises he made during his campaign about a lasting peace in the Gaza Strip.
"We expect Mr. Trump to keep his word, which he gave while on the campaign trail. He must take steps toward building peace, rather than a new war. <…> The situation in Gaza is incredibly sensitive and complex. The developments in Gaza call for a serious reaction with regard to international law and human rights. The priority should be to find a fair solution. A fair approach is crucial for us in the context of protecting the Palestinian people and the search for a fair resolution. Turkey has always safeguarded Palestine’s rights and drawn attention to this issue on the global stage," the Anadolu news agency quoted Erdogan as saying following his return from Asia.
He also noted that the US "is making a miscalculation regarding [the Middle East]." "One should not take an approach that disregards the history, values, and heritage of this region. By pretending that there is no suffering going on, the US will not achieve anything. Playing into the Zionists’ lies will not lead to anything but bleeding wounds. This is a false path. Believing [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s words, against whom a legal process is still active in his country, will not lead to anything but the region being soaked in blood. We have already seen this first hand. This will not lead to a lasting peace, but, on the contrary, will exacerbate conflicts and bring more bloodshed and sorrow. For Israel, nothing comes before its own interests. Just look at history, they were at odds even with the countries which had established their state," the Turkish leader noted.