President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the United Nation's inaction and Western countries' complicity in Israel's massacres in Gaza, as he addressed the 79th United Nations General Assembly debate in a passionate speech questioning the dysfunctionality of the global body.
Erdoğan said the U.N. falls short of fulfilling its foundational mission and in recent years, it has become a dysfunctional, idle structure without the ability to implement resolutions passed by a vast majority of its member-states.
He noted that Gaza has become the world's largest graveyard for children and women as a result of Israel's attacks.
"Children are not the only ones being killed, but moral values allegedly defended by the West are also dying in Gaza," he said. Erdoğan continued by calling on human rights organizations: "Aren't those in Gaza and West Bank human beings?"
Saying that the U.N. was originally established to maintain international peace and security after World War II, in recent years, the global body has "been struggling to fulfill its founding mission and is gradually turning into a dysfunctional, unwieldy and inert structure."
Highlighting the serious damage caused by Israeli attacks in Gaza, Erdoğan said the blockaded Palestinian enclave has become the largest cemetery for women and children in the world, where over 17,000 children were targeted by Israeli bullets and bombs.
Erdoğan's passionate speech was frequently interrupted by rounds of applause, as he questioned the West's morality.
"Are the ones in Gaza, the ones in the West Bank not human beings? The children in Palestine, do they not have the right to study, live, and play in the streets?" Erdoğan asked human rights organizations and continued:
"The journalists that Israel massacred on live TV, whose offices were raided, are they not your colleagues?" Erdoğan told Western media outlets, which are criticized for remaining silent and their biased reporting of Israel's atrocities.
"For how long will you continue to bear the shame of looking at this massacre, of being its accomplices?" the president asked countries unconditionally supporting Israel.
The president reiterated Türkiye's call for all countries to recognize a Palestinian state and stand on the "right side of history."
"I also invite other states, that have not yet done so, to recognize the State of Palestine as soon as possible and take their place on the right side of history at this very critical period," Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan said while an urgent cease-fire is necessary in Gaza, the main issue is the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel.
“It is important that an independent, sovereign and geographically contiguous Palestinian State on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital is created,” he said.
Repeating his criticism of Western complicity, Erdoğan said the global community has displayed a poor account of itself. He continued by saying that what is happening in Palestine is an indicator of a huge moral breakdown, as he called on world leaders to reflect on “this painful picture.”
Saying that Palestinians are rightly exercising their “legitimate right of resistance” against Israel’s occupation and acts of ethnic cleansing, usurping their independence and basic human rights.
“The rightful resistance of the Palestinian people against those who occupy their land is too noble, honorable, heroic to be portrayed as illegitimate,” he said.
He continued by saying that the only reason for Israel's aggression against the Palestinian people is the unconditional support of a handful of countries to Israel, who have become accomplices.
He strongly criticized Israel’s supporters for claiming to work for a cease-fire, when in reality they continue to send weapons and ammunition to the country so it can continue to carry out massacres.
Referring to the cease-fire proposal, which was drafted back in May, Erdoğan said Hamas has repeatedly announced accepting the document, but the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that it does not want peace, by continuously hampering the process and finding excuses.
“There should be no more credit given to Israel's distraction and deception moves.
In an environment where United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735 is not being implemented, coercive measures against Israel should be put on the agenda,” he said, adding that Israel’s aggressive stance has proven to the global community that it is necessary to come up with a protection mechanism for Palestinian civilians.
“Just as Hitler was stopped by the alliance of humanity 70 years ago, Netanyahu and his massacre network must be stopped by the “alliance of humanity,” Erdoğan said.
To do so, the president said the U.N.G.A could consider the “Uniting for Peace Resolution dated 1950” to take concrete action.
Erdoğan noted that 70% of water resources and 75% of the ovens in Gaza were destroyed by Israel, while 95% of health facilities were partially or completely damaged, 150,000 homes were completely destroyed, 200,000 others were partially destroyed and 80,000 homes became uninhabitable due to Israel’s attacks.
The president continued by warning about the risk of infectious diseases, including polio and hepatitis amid the ongoing crisis.
“With the amount of aid exceeding 60,000 tons, Türkiye is the country that sends the highest amount of aid to Gaza,” Erdoğan said, adding that Ankara also halted commercial transactions with Israel.
Noting that Türkiye has historically welcomed persecuted people with open arms, Erdoğan said the country has always opposed tyranny.
“We had welcomed the Jews who escaped from the inquisition 500 years ago and the Jews who escaped from Hitler's concentration camps,” he said, and added:
“I say it frankly; as a country and as a nation, we have no hostility toward the people of Israel.
We are against anti-Semitism in the same way that we are against the targeting of Muslims just because of their beliefs,” he said, adding that Türkiye opposes the policies of the Israeli government.
Noting that the situation in Syria continues to remain dire, Erdoğan said the country is in the grip of terrorist organizations like the PKK/YPG.
He said that Türkiye is determined to maintain its position in favor of a realistic dialogue with sincerity.
He hailed the Iraqi government for taking “decisive steps” toward development as it struggles against terrorism.
“The international community should support these efforts of Iraq,” he said, adding that regional stability and development initiatives depend on the elimination of the terrorist threat, especially the PKK in northern Iraq.
