ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told President Joe Biden in a phone call that the United States has a historic responsibility to achieve a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza conflict as soon as possible, Erdogan’s office said on Thursday.
It reported him as saying that a deepening and prolongation of Israel’s attacks in Gaza may have negative regional and global consequences.
“It is the historic responsibility of the USA to ensure a permanent ceasefire in the region as soon as possible,” Erdogan was reported as saying.
He also said the withdrawal of U.S. unconditional support for Israel could ensure a ceasefire quickly and that demands for such a move had been made more loudly in recent days globally and in the United States.
In the telephone call, Erdogan and Biden also discussed Sweden’s NATO accession process and Turkish-U.S. relations, including the issue of F-16 fighter jet sales to Turkey, Erdogan’s office said.
(Reporting by Can Sezer; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)