Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on UN member states to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state, saying attempts to prevent Palestinian statehood would fail and that a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital would eventually be established.
Erdogan urged countries that have not yet recognised Palestine to reconsider their position, while criticising the absence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from the UN General Assembly for a second consecutive year, in an address to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
Erdogan said 74,000 Palestinians had “fallen victim to Israel’s state terrorism” and described Gaza as “the most inhumane, most shameful concentration camp of our time,” while calling it the world’s largest graveyard for children and the region with the highest rate of child amputees.
He also accused Israel of pursuing what he called a “genocidal mindset” that “can never get enough of killing,” saying no one with humanity, mercy or conscience could turn a blind eye.
The Turkish president said Abbas’ absence was an injustice to Palestinians that “wounds consciences,” adding that Türkiye would continue to be the voice of a “free and sovereign” state of Palestine even in Abbas’ absence.
“Attempts to stifle Palestinian statehood will fail,” Erdogan said, reiterating that Türkiye would continue to support the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital.
Addressing the Gaza crisis, Erdogan said the enclave had become the world’s largest cemetery for children and the region with the world’s highest rate of child amputations.
Turning to the occupied West Bank, Erdogan said the territory was experiencing “the most severe period of occupier terror,” as he criticised Israel’s policies towards Palestinians.
He also called for the reconstruction of Gaza to begin without delay, urging UN member states to exert “greater pressure” on Israel.
Calls for UN reform
Erdogan criticised the UN’s ability to address conflicts, saying the organisation, established 81 years ago to maintain international peace and security, had become unable to fulfil its mission.
“Those in Palestine, Lebanon, and Sudan, who pinned their hopes on the UN, are disappointed,” he said.
He renewed his call for reform of the UN Security Council, arguing that a system in which the will of more than 190 countries depends on the “whim of five” is neither fair nor capable of building trust.
Erdogan reiterated his long-standing call that “the world is bigger than five,” referring to the Security Council’s five permanent members, and urged changes to a system in which international law is applied differently to powerful and weaker states.
“Impunity leads to decay,” he said.
Regional issues
Erdogan said Türkiye wants the Russia-Ukraine war to end while ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On Syria, he said Türkiye sees the country moving towards becoming a “safe and peaceful” state and pledged continued support for the Syrian people.
He said preserving stability and calm in Libya remained a priority for Türkiye, while also stressing the importance of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Türkiye believes freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be preserved,” he said.
Erdogan also described recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea as “unacceptable, regardless of who carries them out.”
He said Türkiye was cementing regional solidarity through its defence alliance with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with the aim of developing solutions to regional problems.
On Europe, Erdogan warned that the continent could not become stronger or more secure while excluding Türkiye from its security architecture.
He also called for recognition of the sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot people and an end to their “unofficial isolation.”
