At U.N., Turkey to press criticism of Israel over Gaza war

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey, among the world's sharpest critics of the Israeli military operation in Gaza, will use the U.N. General Assembly this week to highlight what it says is a genocide unfolding there and will urge international pressure on Israel.

President Tayyip Erdogan and several Turkish ministers will take part in the General Assembly in New York, which comes amid the heaviest cross-border fire between Israel and militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, alongside the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

NATO member Turkey has condemned Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which came in retaliation for Palestinian militant group Hamas' cross-border attack on Oct. 7 last year. Turkey halted all trade with Israel and applied to join a genocide case against Israel at the World Court.

Israel has repeatedly dismissed the genocide case as baseless, arguing in the court that its operations in Gaza are self-defence and target Gaza's ruling Hamas group.

Erdogan addresses the assembly on Tuesday and plans to underscore what he described as the "ongoing genocide in Gaza" and repeat his call to reform the U.N. structure to be more inclusive, a Turkish diplomatic source said.

The Turkish delegation, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, will press the Gaza issue in all of its meetings and bilateral contacts throughout the week, the source added.

Fidan on Sunday urged Muslim counterparts in New York to use their contacts this week to highlight the Gaza issue, the diplomatic source said.

Erdogan has so far met the leaders of Serbia and Albania in New York. The source said he and Fidan would also hold talks to discuss counter-terrorism, mediation, regional ties and investments.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; editing by Jonathan Spicer and Mark Heinrich)