“The Palestinian cause has become a global issue”

 

Speaking at the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, President Erdoğan said: “Today, the Palestinian cause has become a global issue. The participation in this hall is the most important proof of this. In Europe, in Asia, in the Americas, in Africa, we are witnessing people chanting ‘Free Palestine’ on streets, on social media or in the press more than ever before now.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in New York:

“NO ONE WITH A CONSCIENCE CAN ACCEPT WHAT IS HAPPENING”

“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to France and Saudi Arabia, who are co-chairing this conference. I congratulate all the countries that have decided to recognize the State of Palestine. I hope that this step along with the initiatives to be undertaken in the coming period will accelerate the implementation of a two-state solution.

A major catastrophe has been unfolding in our region for nearly two years because of Israel’s escalating attacks. The massacre in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of more than 65,000 people, continues with all its brutality. No one with a conscience can accept what is happening, let alone remain silent in the face of such a genocide.

The goal of the Netanyahu government is to make the establishment of a Palestinian state impossible and force the Palestinian people to emigrate as much as possible. Amid these negative developments, the decision by a group of countries, including some members of the UN Security Council, to recognize the State of Palestine is an extremely important and historic step.

“THE NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTING GENOCIDE AGAINST ITS MILLENNIA-OLD NEIGHBORS”

We wish we could see President Abbas of Palestine among us here today. Nevertheless, I find it extremely valuable that all the participants speaking today are also serving as the voice of the Palestinian people. It is also a fact that today the Palestinian cause has become a global issue. The participation in this hall today is the most important proof of this. In Europe, in Asia, in the Americas, in Africa, we are witnessing people chanting ‘Free Palestine’ on streets, on social media or in the press more than ever before now.

The following contradiction should not escape anyone’s attention, including my friends here: The Netanyahu government, which rules over a people once targeted for extermination in the Holocaust, is committing genocide against its millennia-old neighbors with whom it shares the same land, water, air, and sea. Standing up against this oppression is not only a legal duty of the international community but also a moral responsibility. The international community must stop the expansionism in the West Bank, the faits accomplis in East al-Quds, and the attempts to spread instability in the region. Otherwise, we cannot talk about the presence of an international order or about defending universal values.

“IT IS NOW NECESSARY TO DECLARE A CEASEFIRE”

The goal of the deepening occupation and annexation policies is clear: to kill the vision of a two-state solution, to leave no ground for the State of Palestine to survive, to exile the Palestinian people, and to implement expansionist ambitions in the region. These cannot be allowed by any means. I hope that the countries that have shown the courage to recognize the State of Palestine at this conference will follow through this historic stance with determined, concrete and deterrent steps.

It is now necessary to declare a ceasefire, ensure unhindered flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza. Gaza is an inseparable part of Palestine and belongs to the Palestinians. Palestinians themselves will decide how they will govern their territories. It is also high time for Palestine to be a full member of the United Nations. It is crucial to enhance Palestine’s national capacity, expand the financial and technical support to it, and maintain the operations of humanitarian aid organizations such as the UNRWA. We, as Türkiye, will determinedly continue our efforts until the establishment of a State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders with territorial integrity and al-Quds as its capital. I am hereby extending my most heartfelt greetings to my Palestinian brothers and sisters, particularly the oppressed people of Gaza.”