It is important all stages of Gaza ceasefire to be fully implemented: Turkish president

International community must ensure that Israel fulfills its responsibilities, Recep Tayyip Erdogan says

All stages of the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas should be fully implemented and uninterrupted humanitarian aid must be delivered to the enclave, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday at a news conference with visiting Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in Ankara. Regarding the three-phase truce, first phase of which took effect a day earlier, Erdogan said the international community must ensure that Israel fulfills its responsibilities. Hamas released three Israeli hostages, while Israel set free 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday. Türkiye is committed to the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state, based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, Erdogan added. He said he also stressed the importance of lifting international restrictions on Syria to start the reconstruction work. For his part, Fico expressed hope that Türkiye's full EU membership aspirations are realized as soon as possible, affirming his country's full support.