Türkiye will 'stand' by Hamas which is fighting for 'independence,' says President Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Türkiye will "continue to stand by Hamas which is fighting for its own land's independence and defending Anatolia."

Speaking at the parliamentary group meeting in Ankara, Erdogan said: "Israel will not stop in Gaza, and if not stopped, this rogue state will eventually target Anatolia with its delusions of promised land."

He stressed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Netanyahu and those complicit in genocide will be held accountable for every drop of blood they have shed."

He said: "On Nakba, the Day of Catastrophe, we once again declare with all our being and resources that we stand by Palestine and the Palestinian cause."

"We (Türkiye) will also ensure that the perpetrators of genocide face justice," he added.

On May 15, a day solemnly observed by Palestinians worldwide to commemorate the Nakba anniversary.

Palestinians, both within Palestine and abroad, mark this day with various events that honor the significance of this tragic historical event.

On Sunday, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics released a report marking the 76th Nakba anniversary indicating that since 1948, around 134,000 Palestinians and Arabs have been killed both inside and outside Palestine.

The Nakba anniversary this year comes as the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip are experiencing an Israeli devastating onslaught that has been taking place since Oct. 7, and left over 35,000 Palestinians killed.