Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has praised his Spanish counterpart, Prime Minsiter Pedro Sánchez, for leading his country in support of Palestine during the ongoing Gaza conflict.
On a visit to Madrid for a major bilateral summit, Erdoğan expressed his admiration for Sánchez, whom he described as a "dear friend".
"The genocide that has been going on in Gaza for 250 days hurts everyone with conscience, ... no country with a conscience can accept this," the Turkish leader added.
Spain in early June announced it would join South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice against Israel over allegations of war crimes in Gaza. Sánchez had previously criticised Israel for the conduct of its military campaign.
Some 37,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since Israel began its current war against Hamas. A deal to impose a ceasefire and release hostages captured by Hamas on 7 October 2023 has gathered international support, but is waiting for approval from the warring parties.
Erdoğan is attending the eighth intergovernmental summit between the two nations, which is set to result in the signing of at least 13 bilateral agreements.
During the meeting, Erdoğan said he expected Spanish-Turkish relations to continue developing and deepening.
Sánchez, meanwhile, described Turkey as a “key economic partner”, emphasising the great potential for increased economic cooperation between the two countries.
“We know that despite ups and downs, Turkey’s structural fundamentals will keep it growing in economic weight and geopolitical importance in the decades to come,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Spain's King Felipe VI also welcomed Erdoğan and reiterated his country's commitment to strengthening the two countries' relationship.
Economic ties between Turkey and Spain have been robust, with trade reaching new heights in recent years.
The bilateral trade volume between the two countries is currently around €18 billion, with the target of €20 billion originally set for 2021 now within reach.
