President Erdogan meets Germany's Scholz, calls for a ceasefire in Gaza

If Türkiye and Germany jointly achieve a humanitarian ceasefire in the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza, the region can be rescued from the ring of fire, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

Speaking at the joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Friday, Erdogan said 13, 000 Palestinians – including children, women and elderly people – have been killed so far in the war and almost all of Gaza has been destroyed due to Israel's attacks on the besieged enclave.

"Does Israel currently have nuclear weapons? Yes, but if you ask Israel, they won't admit it because they are very good at using lies," the Turkish leader said.

Crucial meeting

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said every effort should be made to reduce the number of civilian victims in Gaza.

Scholz said they have disagreements with Türkiye over Israel’s military offensive, but would like to continue their dialogue.

“We will speak how we can prevent further escalation in the region, we share the concern of a conflagration in the Middle East,” Scholz said, adding that while Germany defends Israel’s right to self-defense, it is not indifferent to the suffering of Palestinians.

“Everything should be done to reduce the number of civilian casualties,” he stressed.

Earlier, Erdogan criticised Western governments for providing blanket support to the Israeli government, but turning a blind eye to "war crimes" committed in Gaza.

The German government has repeatedly said Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas, and opposed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, arguing that it will give a respite to the Palestinian group.