Türkiye's Erdogan Says Trust in EU Shaken by Its Stance on Israel-Hamas War

In this handout photograph taken and released by Kazakhstan's Presidential Press Service on November 3, 2023, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the 10th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States, in Astana. (Photo by Handout / Kazakhstan’s Presidential Press Service / AFP)
In this handout photograph taken and released by Kazakhstan's Presidential Press Service on November 3, 2023, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the 10th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States, in Astana. (Photo by Handout / Kazakhstan’s Presidential Press Service / AFP)
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Türkiye's Erdogan Says Trust in EU Shaken by Its Stance on Israel-Hamas War

In this handout photograph taken and released by Kazakhstan's Presidential Press Service on November 3, 2023, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the 10th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States, in Astana. (Photo by Handout / Kazakhstan’s Presidential Press Service / AFP)
In this handout photograph taken and released by Kazakhstan's Presidential Press Service on November 3, 2023, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the 10th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States, in Astana. (Photo by Handout / Kazakhstan’s Presidential Press Service / AFP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the European Union (EU) had not taken a fair stance on the Israel-Hamas war and the situation in Gaza and as a result trust in the bloc had been "deeply shaken", broadcaster Haberturk and others reported on Saturday.

The support shown by European countries for Israel stemmed from "their debts" over the Holocaust, Erdogan added in comments to reporters on a return flight from Kazakhstan on Friday.

Erdogan revealed that his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi would visit Türkiye at the end of November to hold talks on Gaza, and that he would also attend a summit of Muslim countries in Riyadh later this month.

He stated there would no longer be any trust in the global system if Israel was not stopped and held accountable for "its war crimes and human rights violations".

He also said the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) would push for a ceasefire and discuss the parameters of such a move during its summit in Riyadh later this month.

Gaza must be part of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state once the Israel-Hamas war is over, Erdogan added, saying Ankara would not support models "gradually erasing Palestinians from history".

He said his intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin was in contact with Israeli and Palestinian authorities, as well as Hamas.

He stressed he would not take Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a counterpart, but added Ankara would not sever its ties with Israel either.



Iran Says It Warned US Destroyer to Move Away from Waters Monitored by Tehran

In this June 1, 2017 photo, the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald, foreground, (DDG 62) makes its way with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, through the Sea of Japan. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelsey L. Adams/US Navy via AP)
In this June 1, 2017 photo, the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald, foreground, (DDG 62) makes its way with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, through the Sea of Japan. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelsey L. Adams/US Navy via AP)
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Iran Says It Warned US Destroyer to Move Away from Waters Monitored by Tehran

In this June 1, 2017 photo, the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald, foreground, (DDG 62) makes its way with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, through the Sea of Japan. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelsey L. Adams/US Navy via AP)
In this June 1, 2017 photo, the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald, foreground, (DDG 62) makes its way with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, through the Sea of Japan. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelsey L. Adams/US Navy via AP)

Iran warned a US destroyer on Wednesday to change course after it approached waters being monitored by the country, leading the US ship to turn away, Iranian state media reported.

The US Navy and U.S. Central Command, which overseas US forces in the Middle East, had no immediate comment on the report.

The reported incident follows US strikes last month on Iranian nuclear facilities that Washington says were part of a program geared towards developing nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is for purely civilian purposes.

"US destroyer 'Fitzgerald' attempted to approach waters under Iran's monitoring in a provocative move", Iranian state TV said, adding that a Navy helicopter quickly approached the destroyer and issued a stern warning to leave the area.

The US destroyer threatened the Iranian helicopter, but moved out of the area upon continued warning, state TV said.

Iranian state media identified the vessel in question as "DDG Fitzgerald", adding the Iranian Army contacted the vessel asserting the helicopter was under its protection and asking the ship to change it direction to the south.