Slanders against Türkiye are Israel's attempts to cover up its “barbarity in Gaza”, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.
Addressing the media after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara on Tuesday, Erdogan said "we pay no heed to the slanders directed at our country by the murder network that has the blood of 75,000 innocent people in Gaza, mostly children and women, on its hands."
The Turkish president framed the accusations against Ankara as a deliberate attempt at deflection, pointing to Türkiye's historical record of offering refuge to those fleeing persecution.
"Our history includes the virtue of giving refuge to those fleeing Nazi persecution," President Erdogan said.
"Those who slander Türkiye to cover up their barbarity in Gaza know it best."
The Turkish president also addressed Türkiye's strategic technological ambitions, stating that developing satellite capabilities was no longer optional for the country.
"For Türkiye, developing satellite capabilities is a necessity, not a choice," Erdogan said.
President Erdogan expressed Türkiye's solidarity with Venezuela following the devastating twin earthquakes that struck the country, pledging support to the Venezuelan people "with all our means".
"We extend our support to the people of friendly and brotherly Venezuela with all our means," Erdogan said.
The Turkish leader said Türkiye dispatched two military aircraft carrying search and rescue teams along with humanitarian aid to earthquake-hit Venezuela, and the teams have already begun operations on the ground, working in coordination with international rescue mechanisms.
“Turkish municipalities have also launched their aid campaigns in support of Venezuela,” he said.
