(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- Amidst the largest outbreak of violence between Israel and Palestinian militants since 2014, Turkey’s president Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on Wednesday regarding the growing conflict. According to the Turkish government, Erdogan and Putin conferred over the phone on potential responses to the violence as Turkey pushes for greater international intervention against Israel.
On Wednesday, Israel responded to increasing rocket attacks from the militant Hamas and other extremist groups with hundreds of air strikes into Gaza. The exchange of violence has already killed at least 35, in what is seen as a significant escalation.
According to the report, Erdogan told Putin that he was pushing for “the international community to give Israel a strong and deterrent lesson,” and that the UN Security Council needed to respond to Israel with “determined and clear messages.”
Erdogan pressed Putin to take a stronger stand in the conflict and to push for a more rubust international response to protect the Palestinians.
In releasing the details of the call, Turkey is making clear that it is taking sides—and showing it stands on the side of the Palestinians against Israel.
Earlier this week, Erdogan made an even more explicit condemnation of the Jewish state, calling Israel “the cruel terrorist state, attacks the Muslims in Jerusalem, whose only concern is to protect their homes and their sacred values, in a savage manner devoid of ethics.”
Wow. Erdogan doesn’t seem to be leaving much room to negotiate.
In the days since fighting began last week, Turkey has made similar diplomatic overtures to several other nations in the region, in the interest of building a coalition to challenge Israel’s actions. Erdogan made calls to both Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assuring them of his support, and attempted to gain the support of the leaders of Algeria, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Pakistan.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also joined in the diplomatic push with calls to Algeria, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, and Tunisia. According to him, Turkey is attempting to organize the Organization of Islamic States and the UN General Assembly in action against Israel.
As events unfold and conflict roils the region, it has yet to be seen if Erdogan will bear any success in creating an international coalition to back the Palestinians, or if Turkey will be going it alone.
