Turkey, Russia slam West over Israel's bombing of Gaza

In a phone chat on Tuesday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reminded his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the “silence” of Western nations was aggravating the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

According to a statement released by the administration, Erdogan informed Putin that “savagery” towards Palestinian territory was intensifying and that civilians were frequently being slaughtered.

The statement stated that he also reiterated past statements that NATO ally Turkey would keep trying to bring about peace in the area.

Western nations have emphasised Israel’s right to self-defense in the wake of a Hamas militant attack on Israeli communities and kibbutzim on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people, mostly civilians.

Since then, thousands of people have died as a result of Israel’s frequent daily airstrikes on Gaza, which is governed by Hamas.

Later, in a statement on the call, the Kremlin claimed that Putin had informed Erdogan that there is broad agreement between Russia and Turkey about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“The positions of Russia and Turkey… are focused on the implementation of the well-known two-state formula, which envisages the creation of an independent Palestine coexisting with Israel in peace and security,” it said.

(With agency inputs)