Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continued his strong criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, arguing that the U.S. president was making a mistake by trusting Israeli "lies" and disregarding the "history and values" of the region.
Speaking to a group of journalists on his return from a trip to three Asian nations, Erdoğan urged Trump to fulfil his promises to promote peace rather than conflict.
"Believing what (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu __ whose legal process is still ongoing in his country __ says will do nothing but shed blood in the region," Erdoğan said, according to a transcript of comments that were made available to The Associated Press on Friday. "This will not bring the longed-for peace, on the contrary, it will deepen conflicts and increase blood and tears."
Erdoğan, a vocal advocate of Palestinian rights, also appeared to suggest that the U.S. president should refrain from taking decisions regarding the region without consultations. "There is no room for a 'it's done whether you like it or not' approach in this region,” Erdoğan said.
"The expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza is unacceptable."