AKP: ‘US veto on Gaza is a mark of shame’

Turkish Justice and Development Party spokesperson Omer Celik asserted on Monday that the US veto in the Security Council on draft resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza is a “mark of shame” on the US.

In a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Ankara, Celik mentioned the international system’s failure to put an end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

He pointed to the: “Moral and political bankruptcy of (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s government, which is committing genocide in Gaza.”

Celik also stated that the events demonstrated that “international mechanisms have become completely useless,” adding that Washington’s use of its veto power against any initiative that would stop Israel or send a strong message to Tel Aviv is: “A step that will be recorded in history as a mark of shame for the US.”

He maintained that the power struggle between members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council led to the continuation of: “Genocide in which a child dies every ten minutes.”

Celik noted that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made tireless diplomatic efforts on behalf of Gaza and visited countries in the region, including Algeria and Egypt, to strengthen their common position in this regard.

Celik stressed that Gaza would remain Ankara’s top priority, and Turkiye will continue to do what it can to ensure a ceasefire and the establishment of a Palestinian state with geographical unity and with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Since 7 October, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which has left massive infrastructure destruction and tens of thousands of civilian victims, primarily women and children, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, according to official Palestinian and UN sources. Due to this, Tel Aviv stood for trial for the first time since its establishment before the International Court of Justice on genocide charges.

READ: US veto blocks UN Security Council resolution calling for Gaza ceasefire