Turkish, U.S. presidents discuss Gaza conflict, Sweden's NATO bid

ANKARA, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday, discussing the conflict between Israel and Hamas, bilateral ties, and Sweden's NATO bid.

Erdogan told Biden that the "humanitarian tragedy in Gaza must be stopped as soon as possible, that the U.S. withdrawal of unconditional support for Israel can ensure a ceasefire quickly," the president's office said.

It is the historical responsibility of the U.S. to ensure a permanent ceasefire in the region as soon as possible, Erdogan said.

"The deepening and prolongation of Israel's attacks may have negative regional and global consequences," he warned, adding that the most reasonable and permanent solution is to establish an independent, sovereign Palestinian State having territorial integrity, with Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967 borders.

The two presidents also discussed the sale of F-16 fighter jets during the phone call, according to the president's office.

Erdogan said last week that he expected the U.S. Congress to approve the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara before the Turkish parliament can ratify Sweden's NATO membership bid.

Israel's conflict with Hamas since Oct. 7 has so far killed 18,787 people and wounded over 50,000 others in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run health ministry said on Thursday. About 1,200 people died during the surprise Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, according to Israeli figures.