Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Islamic countries to form an alliance in response to what he described as the "growing threat of expansionism" from Israel. He made this statement on Saturday following two days of military strikes across the Gaza Strip that claimed the lives of at least 61 people.
Erdogan's remarks came after Palestinian and Turkish officials reported the killing of a Turkish-American woman by Israeli troops. The woman was participating in a protest on Friday against settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Erdogan pointed to this incident as a further example of what he views as Israeli aggression.
Speaking at an Islamic schools’ association event near Istanbul, Erdogan said, “The only step that will stop Israeli arrogance, Israeli banditry, and Israeli state terrorism is the alliance of Islamic countries.” He emphasized that recent diplomatic efforts by Turkiye to strengthen ties with Egypt and Syria are part of a broader initiative to build solidarity against this perceived expansionist threat, which he warned also endangers Lebanon and Syria.
Following the Friday incident, Israel’s military stated that it was investigating reports of a foreign national woman being killed by gunfire in the area. They added that the details and circumstances of the incident were under review.