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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is looking for an excuse to violate the Gaza cease-fire and restart what he called “genocide,” during a joint press conference with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna in Ankara.
Fidan said Netanyahu “is seeking to violate the cease-fire and restart genocide before the eyes of the entire world.”
During the joint press conference, Fidan stated that Türkiye attaches great importance to its partnership with Estonia and cooperation within NATO.
“Türkiye is acting jointly with its allies on NATO’s eastern flank,” he said, emphasizing that Europe’s security architecture must develop a stronger deterrent capacity.
He added that defense industry developments should complement NATO’s structure and noted the critical importance of Türkiye’s participation in the SAFE mechanism.
Fidan also said the existing obstacles in Türkiye’s EU accession process could be overcome and highlighted discussions on reviving visa liberalization for Turkish citizens.
Addressing the situation in Gaza, Fidan stressed that Türkiye has assumed significant responsibility to ensure that the cease-fire remains in effect.
“We are making every effort for the cease-fire to become permanent,” he said, adding that Turkish aid to Gaza continues without interruption.
“Netanyahu is looking for a pretext to violate the cease-fire and resume genocide in Gaza,” Fidan reiterated. “We will continue to do everything possible for Gaza’s reconstruction.”
Fidan expressed confidence that “through patience and solidarity, Gaza will rise again.”
Fidan also said that Türkiye and Estonia discussed the situation in Syria, emphasizing that “sustainable development in Syria can only be achieved by ensuring security conditions.”
“In this context, adherence to the March 10 agreement is extremely important,” he said.
Fidan described Türkiye’s ties with Europe as “entering a new phase,” noting that the recent visit by German Chancellor Merz was significant.
He said both President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chancellor Merz reaffirmed their commitment to Türkiye’s EU membership bid, calling it one of the most important developments in recent relations.
For his part, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “truly catastrophic,” saying that “strong pressure must be applied on Israel.”
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