Erdoğan urges Gaza ceasefire, reaffirms support for 1967-based Palestinian state

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday called for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and renewed his support for the establishment of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, during a trilateral summit in Istanbul with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

According to the Presidential Communications Directorate, the summit focused on enhancing cooperation among Türkiye, Italy and Libya, with key discussions on regional stability, irregular migration, and Mediterranean security.

Erdoğan condemned what he described as Israel’s “genocidal attacks” on Gaza and highlighted the worsening humanitarian situation in the region. He urged the international community to take immediate action to stop the violence and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The Turkish leader stressed that a lasting peace in the Middle East depends on the creation of an “independent, sovereign and territorially contiguous” Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On the issue of migration, Erdoğan emphasized the need for long-term, sustainable solutions to address the root causes of irregular migration, calling for closer multilateral coordination among Mediterranean nations.

Libya's National Unity Government seeks support for joint strategic projects

Libya's Government of National Unity also issued a statement after the summit, stating that the talks addressed regional cooperation, stability, and economic integration in the Mediterranean, emphasizing the importance of supporting joint strategic projects.

The statement noted that economic cooperation opportunities were also discussed at the summit.

It emphasized the importance of connecting Libya to regional projects in the Mediterranean, as well as strengthening partnerships in energy, oil and gas, and infrastructure; investing in ports; developing electricity networks; and supporting joint strategic projects.

Noting Dbeibeh's call for increased regional coordination in combating smuggling networks and illegal activities at the summit, the statement said the Libyan premier also urged a quadripartite ministerial meeting consisting of Libya, Türkiye, Italy, and Qatar to initiate joint projects in this regard and to combine efforts on priority issues.