Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday told Russian President Vladimir Putin the international community should “give Israel a strong and deterrent lesson” as punishment for responding so strongly to deadly Palestinian terror rocket attacks.
AP reports the Turkish Presidential Communications Directorate said the two leaders talked by phone about the escalating conflict with Erdogan calling for an international strike back against Israel.
The statement said Erdogan stressed the need for “the international community to give Israel a strong and deterrent lesson” and pressed for the United Nations Security Council to rapidly intervene with “determined and clear messages” to Israel.
The statement said Erdogan suggested to Putin that an international protection force to “shield the Palestinians” should be considered even as Israel itself was being battered by Hamas rocket fire.
Meanwhile, thousands of people in Istanbul defied a nationwide coronavirus curfew late Tuesday to demonstrate against Israel’s response to the random rocket attacks.
A large convoy of cars drove toward the Israeli Consulate, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags. An image of the Palestinian and Turkish flags was projected onto the Israeli building.
Pakistan has also condemned Israel’s actions and called for Muslim nations to stand by the Palestinians, with Prime Minister Imran Khan takinf to Twitter, saying: “We stand with Gaza and Palestine.”
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi meanwhile urged Muslim nations to unite over Israel’s strikes on Palestinian civilian areas.
Protesters are expected to hold a small anti-Israel rally later today in the southern city of Karachi.