Türkiye declares day of national mourning over deadly fire in Bolu province

Türkiye on Wednesday will mourn the losses from a fire that broke out in a hotel in Bolu, claiming at least 66 people's lives, said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, Erdogan also addressed international issues, urging the Arab and Islamic world to support Syria's recovery “before others” and for Western states to lift their sanctions on the war-torn country.

Expressing Türkiye's support for Syria's post-Bashar Assad reconstruction, Erdogan said: “As Syria recovers and strengthens, and as the rubble left behind by Assad's escape is cleared, not only our Syrian brothers and sisters but the entire region will benefit from this.”

On the new Gaza ceasefire, Erdogan said images of the prisoner exchange show who values human dignity and who disregards them, criticizing Israel.

“Our brothers and sisters in Gaza have paid heavy a price, but they have neither bowed to thuggery nor surrendered to a policy of massacre,” he added.

Mentioning that since October 2023 Israel has killed some 50,000 Gazans and injured over 110,000, Erdogan said for 471 days Israel carried out a literal genocide and “a policy of depopulation” of Gaza.

He expressed Türkiye's satisfaction that, after 15 months, the faces of the people of Gaza are finally smiling again thanks to the ceasefire.

"It is well known to the entire world that Israel has a very poor record when it comes to violating ceasefires,” he said.

Urging continued pressure on Israel against ceasefire violations, Erdogan expressed Türkiye's determination to do “whatever is necessary in this process.”

We will particularly increase our humanitarian aid, which has already reached 100,000 tons, before the holy month of Ramadan,” he added.

Türkiye will accelerate its efforts to pave the way for lasting peace in the region, “taking the ceasefire as an opportunity” in Gaza, he added.