Erdogan calls on Islamic countries to meet on Gaza war

(Patria) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to convene an extraordinary summit to discuss the war in Gaza and "Israeli attacks on Jerusalem", reports Reuters.

Erdogan, an outspoken critic of Israel during its war against Hamas in Gaza, called on Islamic countries over the weekend to form an alliance against Israeli "expansionism".

Speaking after a government meeting in Ankara, Erdogan said Israel had targeted the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem as part of its "expansionist" actions.

"Jerusalem and that mosque, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, have been Ankara's 'red line'," he added.

The OIC comprises 57 member states and presents itself as the collective voice of the Muslim world.

"It is inconceivable that the OIC, whose duty it is to care for the cause of Jerusalem, remains indifferent to these attacks. The organisation must meet urgently at the leadership level, without losing time," Erdogan said.

He added that Turkey would address the International Court of Justice in The Hague over the Israeli killing of a Turkish-American dual citizen, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, at a protest in the West Bank last week.

"We will take all legal steps. The Israeli leadership that has committed genocide will absolutely be held accountable for the crimes it has committed," Erdogan stated.