Silence of Western countries on Gaza shameful: Erdoğan
RIYADH
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the Western countries for remaining silent on the massacre in Palestine on Nov. 11 at the joint Arab-Islamic summit in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
"It is shameful that the Western countries, which always talk about human rights and freedoms, remain silent in the face of the ongoing massacres in Palestine," President Erdoğan remarked, addressing the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Arab League Extraordinary Joint Summit.
"With today's meeting, we as the Islamic world show in a clear manner our solidarity with the Palestinian people," President Erdoğan stated, expressing his confidence that the summit will produce positive outcomes for both the Muslim world and the Palestinian people. "We will consolidate this solidarity message with the decisions we will take and implement."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reiterated Türkiye’s call for an urgent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and uninterrupted humanitarian aid for the Palestinians stranded in Gaza during a summit that gathered all the Islamic countries together for the first time after the conflict sparked on Oct. 7.
“In the current phase, our first priority is the declaration of ceasefire and the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid. What is urgently needed is not a few hour-long pauses but a permanent ceasefire,” Erdoğan said in his address at the Extraordinary Joint Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League in Riyadh on Nov. 11.
In his speech, Erdoğan underlined that Türkiye will never refrain from providing every kind of support for Gaza’s revival and reconstruction.
“It is important that we turn this crisis into an instrument of a permanent solution to the Palestinian issue. As long as the Palestine issue is neglected, normalization efforts in the region are doomed to fail,” he said.
A permanent solution can be achieved only if a sovereign and geographically integrated State of Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital, is established within the 1967 borders, the president said, adding the proposed International Peace Conference can serve as the best platform in this direction.
“It also appears that new mechanisms are necessary to ensure the security of our Palestinian brothers and sisters. We are ready to make the necessary efforts, including as a guarantor, to maintain the peace that will be established,” he noted.
Türkiye has proposed a mechanism of guarantors to push Israel and Palestine for peace and stability in case they can agree on a lasting agreement. “Lasting peace will ensure calm and welfare not only for the Palestinians but for the entire region, including the Israeli people,” he stated.
Erdoğan underscored the importance of Jerusalem, which hosts Harem-I Sherif and other holy sites, saying: “As I always say, Jerusalem is our red line. It is our wish that Jerusalem, the city of peace, and all Palestinian lands return to their old days. We hope that our Palestinian brothers and sisters put an end to their disagreements and defend their rights in unity and solidarity.”
Erdoğan slammed the ongoing Israeli offensive into Gaza that killed more than 10,000 civilians since the crisis began.
“We should also make endeavors to hold Israel to account before the law for the war crimes and the crimes against humanity it commits. These must be investigated and the required actions should be taken about the culprits by the U.N. Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court,” he stated.
Referring to a statement by an Israeli member of the cabinet who suggested using nuclear weapons against Hamas in Gaza, Erdoğan stated: “In a similar manner, the nuclear weapons, the existence of which Israeli ministers acknowledge, must be investigated, and if there are any that may have evaded international control, they must be disclosed.”
On the sidelines of the summit, Erdoğan held bilateral meetings with some of the leaders, including Crown Prince Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Egyptian President Abdel Fettah al-Sisi.
During the meetings, the leaders discussed the latest developments in Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Erdoğan emphasized that Israel’s violations of human rights against innocent civilians in Gaza must be sanctioned under international law.
He informed his counterparts on Türkiye's intense diplomatic traffic to ensure permanent peace in Palestine and continued humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.