Erdogan says international silence over Israel's ‘rampage’ cannot continue

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the international community cannot remain silent over Israel’s “rampage” that is pushing the entire region “into fire”. Erdogan made his comment during a speech on Monday after chairing a government meeting at the presidential complex in the capital Ankara.

He called on the international community and the Islamic world to act for the sake of peace in the entire region; peace for Muslims, Christians and Jews. Standing with Palestine and Lebanon today, he said, means standing with humanity, peace and the culture of coexistence among different beliefs. The Turkish leader added that Islamic countries must show the greatest response to the injustice in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, and that Muslims must lead the world to prevent injustice.

“A handful of extremist Zionists blinded by hatred are throwing our region and the entire world into fire, and we will never accept this injustice and this barbarism,” explained Erdogan. “The UN General Assembly should recommend the use of force, in line with a resolution it passed in 1950, if the UN Security Council fails to stop Israel’s attacks in Gaza and Lebanon.”

Regarding the speech he delivered at the General Assembly last week, he pointed out that he referred specifically to the conflicts and atrocities in the region, “especially the genocide committed by Israel against the people of Gaza. By repeating the slogan, ‘the world is bigger than five’, I reaffirmed that global peace and security should not be left to the whims of these five countries [the permanent members of the UN Security Council].”

President Erdogan stressed that Turkiye has become the voice of all oppressed people who struggle for freedom, justice, rights and equality on all international platforms.

“We delivered 30 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Beirut on Wednesday, and we will continue to provide aid as long as the security conditions allow,” he pointed out. More than 1,000 Lebanese, including many children, have been killed by the Israeli attacks in the past two weeks, he added. “In my recent conversation with the Lebanese Prime Minister, I stressed that Turkiye’s strong support will remain by their side. We rapidly sent medicine and medical supplies to the region.”

Turkish civil society organisations are present on the ground despite the difficult circumstances, said Erdogan. “They are doing their best in terms of humanitarian aid. We, in turn, have hastened our diplomatic contacts to stop the Israeli attacks.”

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin and other Turkish officials are holding intensive talks with their counterparts to stop the Israeli attacks, said the president.

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