Erdoğan condemns Netanyahu's UN address, criticizes international silence
NEW YORK
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s participation in the U.N. General Assembly amid the ongoing violence in the Palestinian territories.
“It is really a shame that a criminal who committed genocide in Palestine can take a place under the roof of the U.N.,” Erdoğan told reporters on Sept. 26, before returning from a visit to the U.S.
Netanyahu will address the General Assembly on Sept. 27.
“This is a betrayal of the memories of babies, children, mothers, fathers, U.N. officials, journalists and many others who were brutally murdered," Erdoğan said.
“We are calling on everyone to stand on the right side of history. An order that cannot distinguish between the oppressed and the oppressor, the murderer and the victim, and cannot give each of them the treatment they deserve, is rotten to the core."
The president accused Israel of disregarding U.N. resolutions and violating its principles.
“Israel is in a dream, and it seems to be willing to turn the lives of the peoples in our region into a nightmare to realize that dream,” he said.
“Hitler also once had a dream and he gave nightmares to peoples of various nationalities. In the end, he clearly realized that what he had seen was a dream.”
Erdoğan reiterated his call for reforming the U.N. and its Security Council, which he argued is ineffective and biased.
“The U.N. is in a position where it cannot fulfill its mission of preventing wars, make anyone listen to anyone, even protect its own officials and hold Israel to account for killing them,” Erdoğan said.
“The U.N. has turned into a structure that stands guard over a system in which the strong are right and has lost its functionality. Under the current system, the five untouchable members of the U.N. Security Council can do whatever they want ruthlessly."
He has long criticized the current U.N. structure, where the five permanent members of the Security Council hold "disproportionate power."
“The number of Muslim countries in the world is certain, but none of the Muslim countries are among the permanent members,” he said, adding, “Now Africa wants permanent membership. Well, there is no place for Africans in the U.N. Security Council. Japan wants membership. But there is no place for them, either.”
Türkiye, according to Erdoğan, also seeks a permanent seat on the Security Council and will persist in its “just demand.”
Türkiye-Greece to hold summit in early 2025
During separate remarks to the media on Sept. 27 in Istanbul, Erdoğan said Türkiye and Greece will hold a high-level strategic council meeting in early 2025 with the participation of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“We have discussed almost all issues during our meeting [with PM Kyriakos], including the strategic council meeting and ongoing problems in the Aegean. Mr. prime minister has told us that he will deal with this issue and resolve it,” Erdoğan told reporters.
In recent days, the Greek coast guard has violated Turkish territorial waters and harassed Turkish fishermen’s boats. Ankara has asked Athens to stop the violations.
On another question about his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Erdoğan said they discussed the ongoing talks between Yerevan and Baku for signing a lasting agreement. “I have seen Mr. Pashinyan as very positive to this end. I wish that the problem between Azerbaijan and Armenia will be resolved soon,” he said.