Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed that the Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are not legitimate self-defense but rather genocide and systematic terrorism.

He made these remarks to journalists aboard the plane returning from Azerbaijan after participating in the Turkic Council summit, Anadolu reported Wednesday.

Erdogan emphasized that Turkey’s priority is to achieve an urgent and comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza and to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians as soon as possible.

He said, “Israel’s attacks trampled the law and are recorded in history as a stain of shame; they are not legitimate self-defense but genocide and systematic terrorism.”

The Turkish president confirmed that Ankara will continue to seek an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution.

He stressed the importance of Gaza remaining Palestinian land and ultimately being governed by Palestinians.

Regarding the Global Steadfast Fleet, he noted that Ankara closely monitored it using Turkish drones and ships from the moment it set off.

He pointed out that throughout Sunday, he followed the locations and developments of the “Steadfast Fleet” ships via images provided by Turkish Akinci drones.

Concerning US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, Erdogan confirmed that Ankara was in constant contact with Hamas during this phase and still maintains communication with them.

He noted that Hamas informed Turkey in response to Trump’s plan that it is ready for peace and negotiation, considering this a “very important step.”

Erdogan indicated that Trump asked Turkey to meet with Hamas and convince them, saying, “We quickly communicated with our counterparts on this matter.”

He added, “We explained to Trump how to reach a solution in Palestine, whether during our visit to the United States or in our recent phone call.”

Regarding his meeting with Trump in Washington, Erdogan said he raised the issue of F-35 jets clearly and explicitly.

He stressed that necessary technical discussions are currently underway with Washington to take concrete steps in this regard, expressing hope to resolve the aircraft issue and lift the US CAATSA sanctions on Turkey.