Türkiye Lashes Out at Tel Aviv, Criticizes US Support

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, right, speaks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, center, as they attend a meeting for talks on the Middle East in Brussels, Sunday, May 26, 2024. AP
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, right, speaks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, center, as they attend a meeting for talks on the Middle East in Brussels, Sunday, May 26, 2024. AP
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Türkiye Lashes Out at Tel Aviv, Criticizes US Support

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, right, speaks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, center, as they attend a meeting for talks on the Middle East in Brussels, Sunday, May 26, 2024. AP
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, right, speaks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, center, as they attend a meeting for talks on the Middle East in Brussels, Sunday, May 26, 2024. AP

Türkiye has again criticized the United States for supporting Israel in committing genocide in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, and most recently its deadly attack on displaced Palestinians in Rafah.

“We wholeheartedly believe that Israel’s genocide will not be left unpunished by international law and human conscience,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters at a joint news conference with his Cambodian counterpart Sok Chenda Sophea in Ankara.

Fidan said that by attacking the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Israel is pursuing the most possible inhumane acts.

The Minister said that had it not been for the “unconditional” support of Western countries, particularly the US, Israel would not have been able to commit a genocide in Gaza in the first place and perpetuate it.

“Welcoming the genocide of a nation under the pretext of maintaining Israel’s security or defense is unacceptable. Türkiye will do its best to stop the massacre of people in Gaza,” the FM said.

Later, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Fidan will visit Madrid on Wednesday on the occasion of Spain’s official recognition of Palestine as a state.

The Minister will be visiting Madrid together with the members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Arab League Contact Group on Gaza that was held in Saudi Arabia.

The meetings will focus on the efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and to encourage more countries to recognize the State of Palestine based on a two-state solution.

Late on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez spoke over the phone and discussed Spain’s decision to recognize Palestine as a state, and the need to reach a peace agreement that ends violence in Gaza.

“There are no words to describe the dramatic nature of what is happening in Gaza right now, and we hope that, with Türkiye’s contributions, this tragedy will be brought to an end,” said Chenda Sophea during the press conference with Fidan.

On Monday, Türkiye criticized comments by Israeli Foreign Minister Katz, who described Erdogan as a “dictator.”

“The disrespectful tone and baseless accusations against President Erdogan are a futile attempt to change the agenda about Israel's crimes in Palestine,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“It is the Netanyahu government that has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians since October and barbarically massacred dozens of innocent Palestinians in an attack on a tent camp last night. All those who are complicit in these crimes will be brought to justice before international courts,” it added.

“As Türkiye, we will continue to advocate for justice and the rights of Palestinians,” the Ministry said.

Katz’ harsh criticism of the Turkish President came after the latter said on Monday that Ankara would do “everything possible to hold these barbarians and murderers, who have nothing to do with humanity, to account.”

Katz tweeted that it is “dictator” Erdogan himself who should be accused of genocide, accusing him of murdering Kurdish citizens, occupying the north of Cyprus and committing crimes against humanity.

Israel’s airstrikes in western Rafah sparked nationwide protests in Türkiye, demanding a complete severing of relations with Israel.



Putin Thanks Saudi Leadership for Sponsoring ‘Positive’ Riyadh Talks

 A handout photo made available by the Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service shows Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov (2-R) attending a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2-L), US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (3-L) and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (L), Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Saudi National Security Advisor Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 18 February 2025. (EPA / Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service)
A handout photo made available by the Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service shows Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov (2-R) attending a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2-L), US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (3-L) and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (L), Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Saudi National Security Advisor Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 18 February 2025. (EPA / Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service)
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Putin Thanks Saudi Leadership for Sponsoring ‘Positive’ Riyadh Talks

 A handout photo made available by the Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service shows Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov (2-R) attending a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2-L), US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (3-L) and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (L), Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Saudi National Security Advisor Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 18 February 2025. (EPA / Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service)
A handout photo made available by the Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service shows Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov (2-R) attending a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2-L), US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (3-L) and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (L), Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Saudi National Security Advisor Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 18 February 2025. (EPA / Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would like to meet with President Donald Trump but the meeting needs to be prepared to make it productive.

"I would like to have a meeting, but it needs to be prepared so that it brings results," Putin said in televised remarks. He added that he would be "pleased" to meet Trump.

Putin hailed the "positive" talks between senior Russian and US officials in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, noting that the parties agreed to restore the tattered diplomatic relations.

He expressed his gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for holding the talks in Riyadh.

"In my opinion, we have taken a first step to resume work in a variety of areas that are of mutual interest," Putin said. These included issues relating to the Middle East, global energy markets and cooperation in space, he said.

"Without increasing the level of trust between Russia and the United States, it is impossible to resolve many issues, including the Ukrainian crisis."

Ukraine and European governments were not invited to the talks in the Saudi capital, which heightened their concern that Russia and the United States might cut a deal that ignores their vital security interests.

But Putin said Russia had never rejected talks with the Europeans or with Kyiv, and it was they who had refused to talk to Moscow.

'NO ONE IS EXCLUDING UKRAINE,' PUTIN SAYS

"If they want, please, let these negotiations take place. And we will be ready to return to the table for negotiations," he said.

"No one is excluding Ukraine," he added, saying that there was therefore no need for a "hysterical" reaction to the US-Russia talks.

Putin praised the American's "restraint" in the face of what he called "boorish" behavior by US allies.

He said he would be "happy to meet with Donald".

"But we are in such a situation that it is not enough to meet to have tea, coffee, sit and talk about the future. We need to ensure that our teams prepare issues that are extremely important for both the United States and Russia, including - but not only - on the Ukrainian track, in order to reach solutions acceptable to both sides."

Putin said this would be no easy task. He said that Trump himself, who during the US election campaign repeatedly promised to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours, was now talking about a period of six months.

He said this was "natural" because Trump had simply begun to receive fresh information that changed his approach.