Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says the West has sanctioned lawlessness elsewhere as it turned a blind eye to Israel's savage attacks in Gaza.
"Being silent on Israel’s lawlessness in Gaza is tantamount to giving the green light to other lawlessness around the world," Fidan said in a joint news conference with his Bosnian counterpart Elmedin Konakovic in Ankara on Thursday. The inhumane attacks still go on in Gaza, which is indeed a "source of shame," he said.
"In order to break down the resistance, the mosques, hospitals and schools are bombed and we cannot keep our silence regarding those attacks," Fidan added.
"I am calling upon the Western countries not to be a partner in crime by keeping silent."
The complete silence of Western countries, which influence Israel, over the brutality in Gaza is alarming, he stressed.
As Türkiye's top diplomat, Fidan oversees efforts for a peaceful solution to the conflict, after an immediate humanitarian cease-fire. Türkiye is among the few countries in its region openly decrying Israel's atrocities.
The minister said on Thursday that they were now working on treatment of injured people in Gaza, particularly those at a Turkish-built hospital and noted that 27 patients from the Palestinian city were already airlifted to Türkiye.
Fidan stated that the Arab League and the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) gave a clear message in their extraordinary summit in Saudi Arabia earlier this month. "Israeli attacks must stop and a two-state solution should be implemented. We are determined to follow up on decisions at the summit and work for permanent peace," Fidan said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was among the leaders who attended the summit.
For his part, Konakovic said what is happening in Ukraine and Gaza was no different than what happened in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the past. "It is unacceptable to kill civilians, to attack hospitals and schools for the purpose of eliminating Hamas," he said. Konakovic highlighted that a two-state solution should be the basis for resolving the conflict.
Turkish-Bosnian ties
On Türkiye's relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Fidan stated that their relations were growing and at their meeting on Thursday, they discussed all aspects of ties: "Our trade volume reached around $1 billion, but it is not enough. We have to raise it to reflect our true potential," he said.
Fidan stated that they discussed how to improve business ties and expand mutual investments. The minister added they also discussed the fight against the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and he conveyed to his counterpart that Türkiye expected stronger cooperation and more concrete steps against FETÖ from Bosnia-Herzegovina. He said they received "a warm response" on the matter. FETÖ is known for its vast network of associations and schools in the Balkans and beyond. Following the terrorist group's attempt to seize power in Türkiye in 2016, Ankara urged its allies to shut down FETÖ schools and issued extradition requests for FETÖ members who fled the country.
"Bosnia-Herzegovina is a key country in the Balkans and its peace and stability is important for all regional countries," Fidan said. He noted that Türkiye had the highest number of troops in the international peacekeeping mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina: "We approach all issues in Bosnia with a constructive and sincere manner and support its territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty. Separatist discourse and actions are of no interest to any one and it harms the people of Bosnia most. Domestic matters should be resolved by local politicians without foreign intervention and through dialogue. We will continue our support for Bosnia's peace, stability and development," he said.
Konakovic said Türkiye was a friendly country for Bosnia-Herzegovina and hailed increasing commercial ties. He pointed out Türkiye's financial support for the Sarajevo-Belgrade highway.