Türkiye, Pakistan to continue to work together for Gaza

ISLAMABAD

Türkiye and Pakistan will continue to work for ending Israeli massacres in Gaza and the recognition of a Palestinian state, the Turkish top diplomat has said, criticizing the Western nations for remaining silent to Israel’s inhumane offensive on the civilians since October 2023.

“We have a common position with Pakistan on the crimes against humanity being committed in Gaza,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a press conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on May 20.

Talks between the two foreign ministers focused on bilateral ties and regional developments, particularly the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Citing Pakistan as Türkiye’s strategic partner, Fidan reiterated that the two nations will continue to work to let the voice of the Islamic world be heard across the world.

“We have assessed we should take more steps to advance our brotherly ties. We have jointşy agreed to increase our trade volume to $5 billion,” he said. “We have also taken decisions on furthering our partnership in various fields, especially in the defense industry, through investments.”

On Gaza, Türkiye and Pakistan have a common position, and they condemn “those who constantly lecture others about human rights and democracy to be a party to this crime committed in Gaza, the Turkish minister stated.

Israel has breached all the red lines of human conscience and international law in Gaza and is trying to drag the entire region into a total collapse, Fidan recalled. Türkiye and Pakistan will continue their work to end this massacre on all the platforms, including the United Nations and Organization of Islamıc Cooperation (OIC).

“We will try to do whatever we can, using all the tools of diplomacy. We have always said that it would not be possible to continue this war if Israel did not have political and military support,” Fidan said, urging the West to stop its support.

“At this point, the international community needs to focus on a two-state solution by taking lessons from past experiences in the Israel-Palestine conflict,” he stressed and called on all the countries to recognize Palestine before it’s too late.