Kuala Lumpur: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday stated that Israel must end its occupation of Palestinian lands and compensate for the damage it has caused. "At the core of the problem is Israel's insistence on its policy of occupation, invasion and massacre. Just like in the previous ones, we saw that Israel did not keep its promises in the latest ceasefire agreement," Erdogan remarked during a joint news conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Malaysia.
According to Anadolu Agency, Erdogan emphasized the necessity of establishing an independent, sovereign, and geographically integrated State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. He underscored that both Trkiye and Malaysia would continue their efforts on this issue. Erdogan also expressed Ankara's appreciation for Malaysia's stance on Gaza and Palestine and highlighted Trkiye's commitment to sending aid, noting that over 100 ships of in-kind aid have already been dispatched to Palestine.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim acknowledged Trkiye's leadership on the Gaza issue, noting that no other country has matched Trkiye's efforts in humanitarian aid. Anwar mentioned plans to mobilize the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for Gaza's reconstruction under Malaysia's rotating presidency. He also criticized Israel's 'aggressive and expansionist' policies, questioning the potential for progress given Israel's continued presence in the Palestinian enclave.
A ceasefire in Gaza has been in effect since January 19, stopping Israel's assault, which resulted in over 48,000 deaths and significant devastation. The ceasefire agreement includes exchanging 33 Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, with the sixth swap planned this week. However, Hamas announced on Monday that the release of Israeli hostages scheduled for Saturday was postponed due to Israeli violations of the agreement. Additionally, in November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes in Gaza.
On trade, Erdogan and Anwar discussed enhancing Trkiye-Malaysia relations, aiming to increase the bilateral trade volume from $5 billion to $10 billion. Erdogan announced that they have signed 11 agreements across various fields, establishing a high-level strategic cooperation council to foster bilateral relations. He emphasized a "win-win" approach to increasing trade and investment mobility.
Erdogan also highlighted opportunities for collaboration in defense, industry, technology, energy, tourism, culture, and education. He mentioned plans to establish a joint committee between the Council of Higher Education and Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education to further cooperation in academic fields. Erdogan expressed a desire to host more Malaysian visitors in Trkiye, welcoming Malaysia's growing interest in the country.