Eduardo González
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, held a telephone conversation yesterday with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which both addressed the conflict in the Middle East and the Turkish leader praised the “valuable” position of the Spanish Government against Israel’s “illegitimate attacks” in the Gaza Strip and in favor of the recognition of Palestine.
“I have just had a conversation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the crisis in the Middle East and the desire for peace to return soon to the region”, declared Pedro Sánchez through his official account on the social network X.
Meanwhile, as reported by the Turkish Presidency through the state news agency Anadolu, the two leaders discussed the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, measures to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to the region and efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire and lasting peace. Erodgan also praised the “valuable” stance of the Spanish government against Israel’s “illegitimate attacks” and for its statements in favor of the recognition of the State of Palestine and assured that Turkey is ready to assume all kinds of responsibilities, including as a “guarantor”, to ensure permanent peace in the region and “to work together with Spain for regional peace”.
According to Anadolu, Erdogan and other Turkish leaders have “criticized the general silence of Western countries in the face of the incessant Israeli attacks on Gaza”, but “have praised Spain for being critical of the Israeli offensive, which has claimed the lives of 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women”.
The meeting between Sánchez and Erdogan followed last week’s tour of Israel, Palestine and Egypt by the President of the Government and the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander de Croo. During this tour, the chief executive was particularly hard on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to whom he warned that Israel’s response is being “disproportionate” and that “the fight against terrorism cannot be done with force alone.” “The number of Palestinians killed is really unbearable. A clear distinction must be made between military objectives and the protection of civilians,” he said. He also declared, during his visit to the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, that Spain “will continue to demand a lasting cease-fire”.
These words have caused a serious diplomatic conflict between Spain and Israel. The Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, has denounced Sanchez’s statements as “support for terrorism” and has summoned the Spanish ambassador in Tel Aviv, Ana Salomon. For his part, his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares, has done the same with the Israeli ambassador in Madrid and has described Cohen’s accusations as “totally false and unacceptable”.
On the other hand, Sánchez and Erdogan addressed yesterday “the need to advance in our Comprehensive Partnership”, developed during the VII Spanish-Turkish Summit (held three years ago in Ankara), and pledged to “remove obstacles for investment and cooperation between companies in Spain and Turkey”, according to the President of the Government in X added. The last meeting between the two leaders took place last July in Vilnius, on the sidelines of the NATO summit. At that meeting, the Turkish President requested that Turkey’s accession process be reactivated during the EU Spanish Presidency. They also discussed preparations for the eighth high-level meeting between Spain and Turkey, to be held in Spain.
