Rules-based global system collapsed in Gaza, Erdoğan says

Rules-based global system collapsed in Gaza, Erdoğan says

ANKARA

The rules-based global system as well as human conscience and morality have all collapsed in Gaza with Israel’s mass killing of tens of thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, alerting the international community that the world is passing through its hardest ever crises.

“World politics is passing through one of its sharpest turns. There is a serious power vacuum in the international system, we are faced with a loss of morality and conscience,” President Erdoğan said at a meeting at the Justice and Development Party (AKP) over human rights in Ankara on Aug. 5.

Erdoğan slammed Israel’s continued offensive against the Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023 as a genocide and described the Western countries as Israel’s accomplices.

“The global system has entirely collapsed,” Erdoğan said, recalling that the so-called rules-based system had been established by the West to avoid the repetition of the dire consequences of the second World War.

“We are witnessing the collapse of this rules-based system which was created by humanity after bitter experiences. There is no attempt to reverse it either. It is obvious that no lessons have been drawn from the occupation of Iraq, the conflicts in Libya, Syria and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine,” he said.

Even the U.N. Security Council cannot make any statement, Erdoğan said, also harshly criticizing the members of the United States Senate for applauding loudly Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress in July. He likened them to the German lawmakers who felt the shame of applauding Hitler while announcing his plans to exterminate Jews at a speech at Bundestag.

“Those who applaud lies of today’s Hitler, Netanyahu, will never be able to wash off the dark stain on their hands for the rest of their lives,” he said.

 Digital fascism

In his address, Erdoğan indirectly referred to Türkiye’s decision to shut down Instagram due to the social media platform’s rejection of implementing the rules the relevant Turkish institutions impose.

Erdoğan criticized Western-based social media platforms for imposing censorship on the Palestinians who want to highlight their cause and the posts concerning the Israeli massacres of the civilians in Gaza.

“We are facing digital fascism that cannot even tolerate photos of Palestinian martyrs and bans them instantly, yet markets this as freedom,” Erdoğan stated. Accusing these social media platforms of functioning as a pro-Israel mafia, the president also underlined the hypocrisy displayed by them when comes to Türkiye.

Erdoğan said these platforms have not positively responded to the calls for cooperation by the Turkish government.