ANKARA, Dec 13 (KUNA) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday the scheduled peace council in Gaza must address security problem caused by the Israeli occupation forces.
In remarks to reporters aboard a plane while returning home from a visit to Turkmenistan, Erdogan said it is essential that Israel fulfill its promises, fully comply with the ceasefire and allow life in Gaza to return to normal.
Turkiye never shirks serious responsibilities, he stressed, noting that his country has not received so far any request regarding partaking in the council.
He referred that over 3700 in Gaza have been martyred since October 11, calling for addressing sheltering problems in the Strip amid harsh winter conditions.
On the Turkish path to join the EU, Erdogan said the policy of procrastination in this regard has been ongoing.
There are some countries outside this path that have been accepted into the EU; however, Tأ¼rkiye has not yet joined the union, despite its population of 86 million, he noted.
On the Russian-Ukrainian war, Erdogan expressed hope for a chance to assess US President Donald Trump's plan.
"After this meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, we hope to have the opportunity to also discuss the peace plan with US President Trump. Peace is not far off; we can see it," Erdogan said.
He went to say that his meeting with Putin covered ongoing conflicts and diplomatic initiatives launched with Trump's involvement. (end) aas.hm