ISTANBUL, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday strongly condemned Israel's recent attack on Iran and its broader military actions in the region, describing them as acts of "thuggery."
"The definition and description of Israel's attacks on Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and most recently Iran, is thuggery," Erdogan said during his opening address at the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul.
He said that the timing of the Israeli strike on Iran -- coinciding with intensified nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States -- was particularly "meaningful."
The Turkish president called on the Islamic world to set aside internal differences and unite around shared interests. "We must continue our initiatives to implement compelling measures against Israel based on international law and the UN Charter."
The two-day meeting has drawn over 35 foreign ministers from OIC member states to discuss pressing regional issues, with a particular focus on the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. ■
