Turkey stands with Lebanon in war against 'Israel': Erdogan
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The Turkish leader has called on other countries to extend their solidarity with Beirut against the possible war with "Israel".
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a joint statement to the media in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, April 22, 2024. (AP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended solidarity with Lebanon amid escalations with the Israeli occupation, and urged other countries to follow Turkey's path.
In a speech before AK Party lawmakers in parliament, Erdogan affirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been plotting to expand the war on Gaza to the region.
"It seems that Israel has now turned its eyes on Lebanon after destroying and burning Gaza. We see Western countries giving Israel support behind the scenes," he stated during his address.
He further noted that Netanyahu's plans of expanding the war would be catastrophic, while slamming Western countries' support for "Israel" as pitiful.
"Turkey stands with the brotherly people and state of Lebanon. I call on other countries in the region to stand in solidarity with Lebanon," Erdogan asserted.
Turkey’s Fidan warns Cyprus to ‘stay away’ from 'Israel's' wars
The prospect of a third Israeli-Lebanese war, with the possibility of spillover, has sounded international alarm. This also comes amid warnings by Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, directed at Cyprus against allowing "Israel" to use its airport and bases.
In this context, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan asserted on Monday that Cyprus was turning into an "operation center" for the Israeli war on Gaza, cautioning its distant neighbor against getting involved with the occupation's actions in the region.
"We frequently see in intelligence reports that certain countries use the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus as a base, particularly for operations in Gaza,” Fidan told Turkey’s HaberTurk television in an exclusive interview, without clarifying the nature of the intelligence reports.
Fidan said, "When you become a part of the ongoing wars in the Middle East, this fire will come and find you too," adding, "And as we share the same geography, it will then come and hit us too. Our advice to them is to stay away from the conflict."
Turkey has accused the Greek Cypriot administration of permitting two British bases on the island to be used for US arms shipments to "Israel" during the war on Gaza. However, the Republic of Cyprus and the United Kingdom have only acknowledged the use of these bases for "humanitarian purposes."
