Gaza war: Turkey's Erdogan says ceasefire calls 'a priority' amid ongoing massacre

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has announced that his country’s priority will be in pushing for an immediate ceasefire to Israel's war on Gaza, which entered in 28th day on Friday.

Erdogan made his comments in an address at the 10th summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) to highlight the afflictions against the Palestinian people. 

The president called out Israel's bombing of Gaza as a "human tragedy" and said that Turkey will also pursue efforts to build a foundation for an international peace conference. 

"For exactly 28 days, crimes against humanity have been committed in Gaza... Innocent children are being brutally murdered. There is no excuse for this brutality," Erdogan said. 

"We are working on new mechanisms that will guarantee the security of everyone, whether Muslim, Christian or Jew.

"Our goal is to get our region out of this whirlpool it has been dragged into."

Erdogan’s comments came after Turkey’s foreign ministry said that Ankara was facilitating discussions with their Jordanian and Saudi counterparts to plan steps that can be taken towards an immediate ceasefire. 

420 children have been killed or injured daily in Israel's war on Gazahttps://t.co/yBLnciO9bQ

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) November 3, 2023

Turkey's constructed hospital in Gaza, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, has shut down due to a lack of fuel amid a total siege imposed on the impoverished strip by Israel, which has banned the entry of food and fuel.

The hospital was the only one in the besieged territory that provided care for cancer patients.

Israel has relentlessly pounded Gaza since 7 October, after Hamas launched a surprise attack reportedly killing 1,400 Israelis.

Israel's bombing campaign has killed over 9,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children.