ISTANBUL: Israel is now heading towards international isolation, a trend which will only grow in the coming days, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters after performing prayers in Istanbul, Erdogan said during a phone call Thursday with his US counterpart Biden, they extensively discussed developments in Gaza, with Erdogan telling Biden that now is the time for the US to step in.
Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a siege, and mounted a ground offensive in the wake of a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.
At least 18,787 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 51,000 injured in the Israeli onslaught, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stands at 1,200, while 135 hostages are still held by the Palestinian group in Gaza, according to official figures.
On the US sale of F-16s to Türkiye, Erdogan said Biden told him that he has a “positive perspective” on the matter and is ready to present his proposal to Congress.
After a protracted process to buy the latest model of F-16s and upgrade kits for older models, Erdogan has suggested that Türkiye and the US move to approve the F-16 sales and Sweden’s NATO membership bid at around the same time.
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