Conditions to improve relations with Israel, Armenia remain the same: Erdoğan

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today reiterated Ankara’s conditions to improving relations with Israel and Armenia, while also vowing to support Palestinian’s cause, Hurroyet Daily reports.

“We will never reconsider restoring our relations with Israel,” until Israel lifts its Gaza blockade, apologizes to Turkey and pays compensation for the nine Turkish nationals killed on a Gaza-bound vessel by Israeli commandos in May 2010, Erdoğan said in his address to his ruling Justice and Democracy Party (AKP) congress in Ankara. The prime minister also said Turkey will continue to give support to the Palestinian cause in order to make them live in peace.

On Armenia, Erdoğan said Turkey’s stance will not change, until “they give our Azeri brothers’ their rights.”

“We will continue to stand by our principals on the issues of Cyprus and Nagorno-Karabakh,” Erdoğan said.

Erdoğan has meanwhile called on Russia and China to reconsider their stance on Syria, while also vowing to provide logistical support to Syrians and welcome refugees from the country flowing into Turkey, during his speech.

“I call on China and Russia: Please, reconsider your stance. History will not forgive those who side with this cruel regime,” Erdoğan said during his party’s congress today in Ankara.

Turkey is currently hosting around 90,000 refugees, he said. “We will do what brotherhood necessitates. We will continue to give logistical support.”