Erdogan hails Türkiye-Palestine solidarity after Konya friendly

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday praised the solidarity between Türkiye and Palestine following a friendly football match in the central Turkish province of Konya, describing the contest as an exceptional example of brotherhood between the two nations. "Tonight in Konya, the friendly match between Konyaspor and the Palestine national football team was an exceptional example of the brotherhood, solidarity and unity of hearts between our countries," Erdogan said on social media platform X.

He extended his "most heartfelt greetings and affection" to the Palestinian players who traveled to Türkiye for the fixture and thanked the people of Konya for filling the 42,000-seat stadium and embracing the visiting side.

Match ends in draw

Konyaspor and the Palestine national team faced each other as part of "Palestine Day" events in the Turkish city, with the match ending in a 2-2 draw. The home side took the lead in the second minute through Melih Ibrahimoglu, but Mohammed Sandouqa put the visitors ahead with two goals in the 12th and 25th minutes. Konyaspor's Mostafa Mohamed equalized in the 28th minute, and neither side could find a winner in the second half despite creating further chances.

Türkiye's stance on Gaza

Erdogan said the match also reminded the world once again of the "tragedy and genocide" in Palestine and Gaza. "As Türkiye, we will continue to stand united and in solidarity with our Palestinian and Gazan brothers and sisters, defend their rights on the international stage, and demonstrate our solidarity with them in the strongest possible way," the Turkish president added.