Erdogan Calls on the International Community to “Deter Israel”

Rules out meeting with Biden during the UN General Assembly

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his call for the international community to take “deterrent steps” to stop Israeli actions in the region. Erdogan stated that halting the bloodshed in Palestinian territories and the Israeli massacre in Gaza would be key issues on his agenda during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, as well as in his meetings with leaders on the sidelines.

In a press conference held at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul before heading to New York, Erdogan urged Western countries to abandon their “spectator stance” on Israel’s criminal actions and take “deterrent steps” against it. He added, “Once again, unfortunately, Israel is carrying out attacks in Lebanon not as a state but as a terrorist organization, and the fact that it is now conducting these digital attacks is a clear indicator of that.”

Erdogan also expressed concern over Israel’s broader intentions, noting: “We have said from day one that Israel’s target is not just Gaza. The recent attacks on Lebanon have validated our fears about the Israeli government’s plans to spread war in the region, and the increasing harassment of the Al-Aqsa Mosque is also part of the same scenario.”

Regarding whether he would meet with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Erdogan said: “It’s not clear if such a meeting is on our agenda, but sometimes there are surprise meetings. I will meet with many world leaders, and we may meet in that context.”