Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that Muslim countries should form an alliance to counter “the growing threat of expansionism” by Israel.
Erdogan made these comments after referring to the death of an American activist of Turkish origin in the occupied West Bank where she participated in a demonstration against Jewish settlement. Palestinian and Turkish officials have accused the Israeli military of fatally wounding her.
“The only way to stop Israeli arrogance, Israeli robbery and Israeli state terrorism is an alliance of Islamic countries,” the Turkish president estimated.
“Against the growing threat of expansionism”
He added that Turkey’s recent moves to improve relations with Egypt and Syria are aimed at “creating a line of solidarity against the growing threat of expansionism,” which he said also threatens Lebanon and Syria.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Ankara this week and met with Erdogan to discuss the war in the Gaza Strip and ways to improve frosty bilateral relations. It was the first visit by an Egyptian president to Turkey in 12 years.
Erdogan also said in July that he would invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for talks to restore relations between their countries, which were severed in 2011 after the outbreak of civil war in Syria.
Referring to the death of the American activist, Israel’s military said it was investigating reports that a foreign national had been “shot dead”. He added that the details of the incident and the circumstances under which the woman was fatally wounded by a bullet are being checked.
Source: RES-MPE
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