Erdogan urges Italy’s Meloni to take stance on Palestine

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to recognize Palestine, following in the footsteps of Spain, Norway, and Ireland, during a telephone conversation with the Italian leader Wednesday.

According to the statement released by the Directorate of Communications, various aspects of Türkiye-Italy relations, Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories and broader regional and global concerns were discussed.

President Erdogan stressed the imperative of intensifying efforts to halt Israel’s egregious attacks on Palestine and ensure compliance with international legal norms.

Emphasizing the urgency of achieving both an immediate and lasting cease-fire in Gaza, Erdogan underscored Türkiye’s commitment to securing the release of prisoners and facilitating uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Gaza.

President Erdogan also expressed his hope to Prime Minister Meloni that Italy, following the lead of Spain, Ireland and Norway, would take a principled stance by recognizing the state of Palestine and aligning with a just and equitable approach to the ongoing conflict.

Norway, Spain and Ireland formally recognized Palestine as a state on May 28, a move Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez lauded as a “historic decision.”

This announcement comes amid the backdrop of a devastating toll inflicted upon Palestinians, with over 36,100 lives lost, primarily women and children and approximately 80,000 individuals sustaining injuries during Israel’s sustained assault on the Gaza Strip.

The relentless offensive has plunged Gaza into a dire humanitarian crisis, with 85% of its population forced into internal displacement amid acute shortages of essential necessities like food, clean water and medicine.