Erdogan declares national mourning day over Hamas chief killing

ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told his United States (US) counterpart Joe Biden in a call on Thursday that Israel was trying to spread the Gaza war to the wider region and did not want a ceasefire by killing the Hamas chief, his office said.

He added that Biden thanked Erdogan for efforts regarding an East-West prisoner swap in Ankara.

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In a statement, the Turkish presidency said Erdogan told Biden that the Israeli government had shown its unwillingness to reach a ceasefire in Gaza “at every step” and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the US Congress had prompted “deep disappointment” in Turkey and the world.

Erdogan also said the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Palestinian militant group Hamas’ political bureau, had dealt a “heavy blow” to ceasefire efforts, his office said.

It said Erdogan also vowed to continue working to improve ties between the NATO allies