Istanbul - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a phone call with Pope Francis that the Israeli attacks on Gaza “have reached the point of massacre.”

Erdogan stressed in his phone call with the Pope of the Vatican (according to a statement by the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Department today) that the international community’s ignoring of what is happening in Gaza is a disgrace to humanity, and that all countries must raise their voices against this human tragedy.

The Turkish President stressed that the Israeli attacks on Gaza have no place in any sacred text, and "have reached the point of massacre."

During the phone call, the Turkish President discussed with the Pope of the Vatican the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the worsening human rights violations in Gaza.

The Turkish President stressed that "permanent peace in the region, which embraces the holy places of the three monotheistic religions, can only be achieved through the establishment of an independent, sovereign and geographically integrated Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Quds as its capital."

He pointed out that Turkey is making great efforts to deliver humanitarian and medical aid to Gaza, and that everyone must provide effective support for efforts to deliver aid without interruption to innocent civilians.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency