Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Gaza should be part of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state following the end of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The semi-official Anatolia news agency quoted Erdogan upon his return from Kazakhstan as saying, “After everything that happens is over, we want to see Gaza as a peaceful region and part of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, enjoying the unity and integrity of its lands, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

He also added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot in any way be considered a counterpart to Turkey, after the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip.

However, Erdogan said that there could not be a complete severing of ties, especially in international diplomacy, noting that Turkish ministers and the head of Turkish intelligence were engaging in talks with their Israeli counterparts.

The Turkish President stressed that Turkey's main goal is to bring final peace to the Palestinian-Israeli issue, noting that his country has made and will continue to make efforts in this regard.