Türkiye praises Spain's stance against Israel's genocide in Gaza

President Erdogan holds talks with Spanish PM Sanchez in Istanbul, during which he emphasises the need to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Istanbul, where the two leaders discussed bilateral relations between Türkiye and Spain, as well as regional and global issues. During the meeting, Erdogan also praised Spain for its stance against genocide in Gaza committed by Israel. “Spain has shown a resolute and honourable stance against Israel's genocide in Gaza,” he said. He stressed that Türkiye’s priority remains ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and expressed confidence that joint international efforts would help end the oppression faced by Palestinians. Erdogan emphasised ongoing efforts to enhance trade volume between the two countries. He noted that Türkiye and Spain are committed to advancing cooperation across various sectors, particularly in defence and transportation. On Türkiye’s EU membership process, Erdogan underlined that Ankara’s goal of joining the European Union remains unchanged and called for constructive steps from the EU to revitalise the accession process. Addressing the war between Ukraine and Russia, Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. He highlighted Türkiye’s role in facilitating discussions between the two sides in Istanbul, particularly on matters such as prisoner exchanges, viewing such initiatives as vital confidence-building measures. He also urged that emerging opportunities to end the war must not be wasted.