Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday delivered a fiery speech at the TRT World Forum 2025, denouncing what he described as Israel’s “genocide in Gaza” and the international community’s moral collapse in the face of mass suffering.

Israel has nuclear weapons and the capability to strike Gaza however and whenever it wants; how can it be innocent?” Erdogan asked, challenging the narratives defending Israel.

Accusing Tel Aviv of weaponising hunger, Erdogan said children in Gaza were being deliberately starved amid one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history.

“Israel is using hunger as a deadly weapon, especially against children,” he said. “In Gaza, hardly a single building remains intact. Schools, churches, mosques, and hospitals have all been bombed. They say, ‘Israel is innocent.’ How so?”

Erdogan also condemned what he called Israel’s “propaganda machine built on lies,” revealing the heavy toll on journalists covering the war.

Against Israel’s propaganda machine, 270 journalists who sought to expose the truth and reveal Tel Aviv’s falsehoods have been killed,” he noted, urging the global media to uphold justice and moral integrity.

The Turkish leader sharply criticised international institutions tasked with safeguarding peace, accusing them of apathy and inaction.

Those responsible for protecting global peace have failed to stop massacres, prevent genocide, and save children’s lives,” Erdogan said.

Referring to the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, Erdogan said Hamas had been careful to abide by the truce, while Israel continued to look for excuses to resume attacks.

Everyone knows Israel’s terrible record when it comes to keeping its promises,” he added.