Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an arms embargo on Israel on Thursday and seeks to end to all trade with the Jewish state in hopes of isolating it internationally.
During a talk at the D-8 Summit in Cairo, Erdogan said the measures are necessary to punish Israel for its aggression in the Middle East, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
"We see Israel's steps that disregard Syria's territorial integrity, including the expansion of illegal settlements in the Golan Heights," he said. "I believe the D-8 must respond more strongly to the lawlessness threatening Syria's stability and our region."
Israel seized the Golan Heights on its border with Syria during in the 1967 Six Day War.
The D-8 is an organization of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey that seeks to improve economic conditions across the region. The nations were united in collective calls to end the "Israeli aggression" and how to rebuild the war-torn countries of Lebanon and Syria. Erdogan also called for a more coordinated response from Islamic countries in dealing with Israel and urging the members of the D-8 to take the lead.
"As Islamic countries, we must lead steps that can be taken against Israel," Erdogan said. "We must work harder together, as D-8 countries, for a just and lasting peace in the region."
Erdogan urged a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and pointed to hope for peace in Syria following the Dec. 8 ousting of dictator Bashar al-Assad.
"I hope that establishing a ceasefire in Lebanon and the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria will mark the beginning of a more positive era," he said, according to the Middle East Monitor.
Erdogan concluded by urging a sustained pressure on Israel by supporting the Republic of South Africa's case against Israel brought in January to the International Court of Justice, alleging Israel is responsible for violations of the Genocide Convention over its action in Gaza.
"We must encourage as many countries as possible, particularly D-8 members, to intervene in South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice.," Erdogan said.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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