Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Calls for Unity Among Islamic Countries Against Israel

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, stated on Saturday that Islamic countries must unite to confront the "growing threat of Israeli expansionism." These remarks came after the killing of a Turkish-American woman during protests against "Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank." Erdoğan said at a ceremony near Istanbul: "The only way to stop the audacity, piracy, and state terrorism of Israel is the unity of Islamic countries." He also emphasized that Turkey's recent steps to improve relations with Egypt and Syria aim to "create a line of solidarity against Israel's expansionist threats." Erdoğan warned that these threats encompass not only Palestine but also Lebanon and Syria. Yisrael Katz, Israel's Foreign Minister, responded to these statements by calling them a "dangerous and provocative lie" and added that Erdoğan has been collaborating with the Islamic Republic for years to weaken moderate Arab regimes. This week, Erdoğan hosted Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the President of Egypt, and the two discussed the Gaza war and ways to improve diplomatic relations. This was the first official meeting between the presidents of the two countries in twelve years. Turkey and Egypt's relations have improved since 2020, and Turkey is trying to reduce past tensions with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Erdoğan has previously stated that he is ready to invite Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, for diplomatic talks and to restore relations between the two countries. Turkey and Syria have severed ties since 2011, following the outbreak of the civil war in Syria. The Israeli army announced that it is investigating the details of the incident following the killing of the Turkish-American woman in the West Bank. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet commented on this matter. Following the announcement of the killing of the Turkish-American woman during protests by Israeli settlers in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers, U.S. officials expressed regret and called for clarification on the details of the incident. Reuters reported on Friday, September 16, that the victim was identified as "Aisha Nour Azgi Egi," a 26-year-old Turkish-American activist, who was transferred to a hospital in Nablus after being shot by Israeli soldiers in the town of Beita and died there. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is visiting the Dominican Republic, expressed the "deepest condolences" from the U.S. government to the Egi family and stated that Washington's focus is on "gathering facts" to provide a "necessary response." Speaking at a joint press conference with the President of the Dominican Republic, he reiterated the "priority of safety and protection of American citizens worldwide" and noted: "This is something we are pursuing with utmost seriousness." During the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, over 1,200 Israeli citizens, including women, children, and the elderly, were killed, and more than 250 others were taken hostage. Following this terrorist attack, Israel launched an offensive against Gaza to destroy Hamas and recover hostages taken by Hamas. The Hamas group is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Japan, and several other countries. The German Foreign Minister's visit to Israel; Baerbock: Agreement with Hamas comes at a high price. Protests against long lines at gas stations: "Then we will draw lines for Israel." Ongoing clashes in Gaza; Palestinian sources: At least 61 killed in Israeli attacks in the past 48 hours. Britain: The Iranian government is still planning attacks against Israel. A Pakistani citizen has been accused of planning a terrorist attack in New York; he has links to ISIS. The killing of a Turkish-American woman during protests by Israeli settlers in the West Bank; the U.S. government expressed regret. The Israeli Foreign Minister in a meeting with his German counterpart: Khamenei wants to send weapons to the West Bank like Gaza.