Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday called on Israel to comply with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling and urgently declare a full cease-fire in Gaza.
"The international community should never accept Israel’s prevention of humanitarian aid and medical supplies from entering Gaza," Fidan told a press conference alongside his Romanian counterpart Luminita Odobescu in Bucharest.
Condemning Israel for continued bombardment of the blockaded Palestinian enclave, Fidan said, "Those who survive the bombardment are fighting hunger and disease epidemics. We cannot and must not remain silent while 2 million people are openly left to die of starvation and disease."
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened under relentless Israeli airstrikes and ground operations retaliating an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
The onslaught has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, displaced 85% of the blockaded enclave's population and created conditions for famine. A quarter of the 2.3 million Gazans are starving, officials say.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its interim ruling in the genocide case filed by South Africa, ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza and enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians.
Tel Aviv also has to submit a report to the ICJ on all measures taken to give effect to this order within one month.
Hospitals, schools, refugee camps and aid organizations have not so far been spared from Israeli shelling, including the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which lost 152 of its personnel and saw at least 141 of its facilities damaged in Israeli attacks.
Israel has accused some staff of the U.N. agency of participating in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, prompting UNRWA to fire several members and numerous countries, including the United States, France, Britain, Germany and Japan, to announce they were suspending further funding to the U.N. agency.
Alongside a U.N. investigation, the EU has demanded an "urgent" audit of the allegations, but the UNRWA has warned it will not be able to continue its services and operations across the region, including in Gaza, beyond the end of February, if funding is not resumed.
Türkiye, too, expressed concern about the move and urged donors to reconsider their decision, stressing that it "primarily harmed Palestinian civilians."
Black Sea security
Turning to Black Sea relations, Fidan said the Montreux Convention continues to serve "as a guarantee for security of the region" and echoed his similar remarks from Tuesday that Türkiye implements it "impartially and meticulously."
"I say it again today, it’s not even up for discussion," Fidan said, referring to his press conference with Bulgarian counterpart Mariya Gabriel in Sofia where he stressed Ankara’s "unwavering" commitment to the 1936 treaty that regulates the passage of ships through the Turkish Straits.
Romania was the third and final stop in the Turkish diplomat’s four-day Balkans tour that took him first to Albania and then to Bulgaria this week.
Fidan discussed regional security, cooperation and trade with Albanian, Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts, as well as the latest developments in the Balkans and events in the Middle East.
Türkiye has set up a task group with Bulgaria and Romania, which will likely start operating by May, to clear the Black Sea of mines that Russia planted in Ukraine's coastline in early 2022 and have since drifted into the waters of the three countries. The floating mines endanger shipping and complicate Ukraine's efforts to break through a Russian naval blockade.
"As NATO allies that have shores to the Black Sea, regional security and stability are vital. We attach great importance to the war in Ukraine not leading to an escalation in the Black Sea," Fidan noted Tuesday.
Turkish-Romanian ties
On Türkiye’s relations with Romania, Fidan praised a "gradually progressing and strengthening period" and said the basis of it was "the understanding of mutual trust."
"Odobescu and I had a very productive meeting, both in private and inter-delegation talks," Fidan said, noting that the pair will soon establish a high-level strategic cooperation council.
Romania is Türkiye’s largest commercial partner in the Balkans and trade volume has significantly increased in recent years, exceeding $10 billion for two consecutive years.
The neighbors are eyeing $15 billion in trade volume by 2025, according to Fidan.
The diplomats also discussed anti-terrorism efforts and defense cooperation where, after Poland, Romania became the second NATO and EU member to purchase armed drones from Türkiye.