President Erdoğan Speaks to NBC News
In an interview with NBC News, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasised the massacres in Gaza, stating, "From 1947 until the present, Palestine has gradually lost its territories. If we delve into how many Palestinians have been martyred, how many Palestinians have been killed, the story behind this situation reveals a very different picture."
President Erdoğan, who is in New York for the 79th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, gave an interview to Keir Simmons from American NBC News.
Highlighting Israel’s massacres in Gaza during the interview, President Erdoğan responded to a question regarding Türkiye’s relationship with Hamas as follows:
"We are against terrorists. However, I am one of the leaders who knows Hamas well. I have never referred to Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Even now, I do not approach Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Hamas is a resistance group that is spending efforts in order to protect their motherland. Therefore, I cannot refer to such a resistance group as a terrorist organisation.”
Responding to a question about incidents that unfolded on October 7th, President Erdoğan emphasised that the suffering of the Palestinian people leading up to this point must not be forgotten.
"From 1947 until the present, Palestine has gradually lost its territories. If we look behind the scenes, we must understand the conditions that led to October 7. We need to comprehend them well. If we delve into how many Palestinians have been martyred, how many Palestinians have been killed, the story behind this situation reveals a very different picture," President Erdoğan said.
"The US doesn’t want Ukraine to join NATO"
In the part of the interview concerning Ukraine, President Erdoğan, responding to a question about Ankara’s stance on Ukraine’s NATO membership, stated that they would closely examine the actions of all NATO countries on this issue.
"The United States does not want Ukraine to join NATO. Many NATO countries do not want Ukraine to become a member, either. We need to make our decision by seeing these realities," Erdoğan said.
Noting that Ukraine’s NATO membership is a matter that requires thorough consideration, President Erdoğan said:
"When we look at these realities, this is not a decision to be made with excitement. When we make our decisions on these issues, we naturally take into account the positions of all NATO members and make our decisions accordingly. At this point, we will monitor the stance of all NATO countries and make our final decision by following these developments. Decisions like this cannot be made hastily."
When asked by Simmons, "Have you made a decision on this matter?" President Erdoğan responded, "No."
