No NATO-Israel cooperation until there’s peace in Palestine – Türkiye

West Jerusalem’s military methods run counter to the bloc’s core values, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has argued

Türkiye will not support any cooperation between Israel and NATO while the Jewish state continues its military operation in Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.  

Speaking after the NATO summit in Washington on Thursday, Erdogan accused Israel of “trampl[ing] on the fundamental values” of the US-led military bloc, and insisted it is “not acceptable” for NATO to cooperate with West Jerusalem.   

“Until a comprehensive, sustainable peace is established in Palestine, attempts at cooperation with Israel within NATO will not be approved by Türkiye,” Erdogan added. 

While not a member of the US-led military bloc, Israel maintains relations with Washington as a major non-NATO ally. 

Erdogan accused West Jerusalem of committing “atrocities” in Gaza, and argued that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration has endangered its own people and the wider region through “expansionist and reckless policies.”  

“I hereby call on all our allies to increase their pressure on the Netanyahu administration to ensure a cease-fire and the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, who have been starving for nine months,” Erdogan added.   

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Israel slams Gaza ‘starvation’ report

In a statement on Tuesday, independent UN human rights experts accused Israel of an “intentional and targeted starvation campaign against the Palestinian people.” They cited the growing death toll from malnutrition among children in Gaza as evidence that the situation in the enclave amounts to a de facto famine, despite the UN not formally describing it as such. 

The Israeli mission to the UN in Geneva denounced the report on Tuesday, accusing the authors of “spreading misinformation” and “supporting Hamas propaganda.” 

Israel initially announced a full water, food, and energy blockade of Gaza following the events of October 7, when Hamas militants launched a series of raids on Israeli soil. The Hamas attack killed some 1,200 Israelis and resulted in more than 250 being taken hostage. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operation in the enclave has since resulted in the deaths of more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.