ANKARA, Dec 15 (NNN-TRT) – Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held a phone call with his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden yesterday, discussing the conflict between Israel and Hamas, bilateral ties, and Sweden’s NATO bid.
Erdogan told Biden that the “humanitarian tragedy in Gaza must be stopped as soon as possible, that the U.S. withdrawal of unconditional support for Israel can ensure a ceasefire quickly,” the president’s office said.
It is the historical responsibility of the U.S. to ensure a permanent ceasefire in the region as soon as possible, Erdogan said.
“The deepening and prolongation of Israel’s attacks may have negative regional and global consequences,” he warned, adding that, the most reasonable and permanent solution is to establish an independent, sovereign Palestinian State, having territorial integrity, with Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967 borders.
The two presidents also discussed the sale of F-16 fighter jets during the phone call, according to the president’s office.
Erdogan said last week that, he expected the U.S. Congress to approve the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara, before the Turkish parliament can ratify Sweden’s NATO membership bid.
Israel’s conflict with Hamas since Oct 7, has so far killed 18,787 Palestinian people, mostly women and children, and wounded over 50,000 others, in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian health ministry said, yesterday.– NNN-XINHUA
