Turkey denies its radars were used to intercept Iran's missiles
3 Min Read
Turkey denies that it aided in the interception of Iran's retaliatory attack on the Israeli occupation in light of its attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
-
In this photo released by the Turkish Presidency, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and ministers of his government, right, meet with Hamas delegation led by Ismail Haniyeh, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, April 20, 2024 (AP)
Ankara denied on Sunday that its radars were used to intercept missiles fired by Iran toward the Israeli occupation on April 14 and denied that "they were detected early and intercepted thanks to the radar base in Koragik, Malatya."
The Turkish Anti-Disinformation Center of the Communication Department of the Turkish Presidency said in a statement on Saturday evening that the claims in this regard "do not reflect reality."
The statement pointed out that the allegations regarding the radar base in Korajik, which were circulated after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday, had already been denied by the Anti-Disinformation Center.
The statement also emphasized that "the allegations are baseless and have been deliberately put into circulation again."
"Information taken from the radar system in Korajek is only shared with allies within the framework of NATO procedures," the statement said, stressing that "it is not possible to share this information with non-NATO countries, such as Israel."
The statement added that "Turkey has always stood by the just cause of our Palestinian brothers and will continue to do so in all circumstances," and emphasized the need not to pay attention to "misinformation campaigns."
Erdogan hosted Haniyeh and his accompanying delegation at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul on Saturday.
Turkey committed to Palestinian cause
The meeting, which lasted for more than two and a half hours, was also attended by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin.
Erdogan and Haniyeh discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and deliver aid to the besieged territory, Reuters reported.
Anadolu Agency reported that Erdogan assured Haniyeh that Turkey "will continue its diplomatic efforts to draw the attention of the international community to the injustice faced by the Palestinians."
Erdogan added that Turkey would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestine in order to "alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza as much as possible."
During the meeting, the Turkish president also pointed out that Ankara "has implemented a series of sanctions against Israel, including trade restrictions, since April 9th," the agency reported.
Erdogan stressed the utmost importance of Palestinian unity in action during this phase, assuring Haniyeh that "unity and integrity are required for the strongest response to the Israeli occupation and the path to victory."
"Israel will inevitably pay the price one day for the injustice it practices against the Palestinians," Erdogan underlined.
Iranian attack rocks 'Israel'
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force announced Sunday that it targeted Israeli positions in occupied Palestine with dozens of drones and missiles, as part of the retaliatory response to the malicious Israeli crime against the Iranian embassy in Syria.
The force said that the operation came "in response to the numerous evil crimes of the Zionist regime," including the attack on the embassy. It said that its forces, supported by other units of the Iranian Armed Forces, launched the "wide-ranging" military operation.
The statement added that the operation was conducted with the approval of the Supreme National Security Council and under the supervision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, with the support of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the backing of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces.
