Addressing a parliamentary meeting on Monday, Türkiye’s top diplomat voiced Ankara’s commitment to the resolution of the Palestine-Israel conflict and championed the Palestinian cause.
“We are emphasizing regional backing and a guarantorship mechanism for a resolution. It is impossible to end this cycle of violence in the region if deep-rooted, historical injustice is not addressed,” he said.
Türkiye advocates a two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict and has long defended Palestinians’ territorial rights. Fidan earlier accused Israel of theft of Palestinian lands. Ankara also calls for an end to what it calls “illegal settler terrorism.”
As he was briefing about his ministry’s work at the Planning and Budget Committee, Fidan said Türkiye has been working to ensure the rights of civilians since a new round of conflict began on Oct. 7. “Israel’s savagery turned the situation into a humanitarian tragedy for Palestinian people. At least 12,000 Palestinians were killed and more than 30,000 people were injured in the Israeli attacks. At least 3,750 people are missing. Two-thirds of the deceased are women, children and the elderly. We never accept attacks targeting civilians and since the crisis began, we made it clear that the civilians should be absolutely protected. We cannot remain silent to collective targeting of hospitals, schools and mosques in the name of eradicating Hamas,” Fidan said.
Using its rising diplomatic clout, Türkiye exerts efforts to rally the international community to help Palestinians trapped in Gaza under Israeli bombardment. In parallel with immediate cease-fire calls, Ankara highlights a permanent solution to the issue, namely, the establishment of a fully independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
“We are determined to ensure permanent peace. The only solution is the establishment of a Palestinian state within 1967 borders,” he said. Israel does not have an internationally recognized border as it violated U.N.-approved 1967 borders and for decades, it expanded its illegal settlements extending into Palestinian territories.
Fidan said Türkiye recalled its Tel Aviv ambassador to Ankara for consultations after Israel’s continued attacks against civilians and was engaged in busy diplomatic traffic to end the massacres and de-escalate tensions. Türkiye was taking steps to normalize its relations with Israel before Oct. 7, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weeks before the conflict erupted. Erdoğan, a fervent supporter of the Palestine cause, later announced he shelved plans to visit Israel and for now, relations at all levels apparently came to a halt. Erdoğan most recently called Israel a terrorist state.
The foreign minister said President Erdoğan contacted many leaders, including Israeli and Palestinian presidents and most recently, joined an emergency meeting of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the ongoing conflict. “The message in the summit was clear: ending Israeli attacks and immediate implementation of a two-state solution,” Fidan said.
On Western support for Israel, Fidan said that the West now “lost its moral superiority.”
“But it is significant that regional countries collectively reacted to Israel,” he stated.
Türkiye laments the continuous support, particularly from the United States, for Israel while conveniently ignoring what Ankara calls war crimes in Gaza. "The blood of the children killed in Gaza is now a stain of shame for those supplying weapons, munitions and intelligence to Israel. Every day, hundreds of children are killed by bombs, but no one, from the European Union to the United States, no one claiming to defend human rights says a single word. Israel slaughters journalists, along with their families, while they are covering Israel's massacres, but the international media does not cover it," President Erdoğan said on Nov. 15.
Fidan stated that it was as shameful and dire as Israel’s continuous attacks to see Western countries with influence on Israel remain quiet against the savagery in Gaza and unconditionally support Israel. “This will pave the way for more crises and may lead to unpredictable alliances,” he said.
Türkiye continues to work for the evacuation of 983 citizens and their relatives from Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah border gate, Fidan said. Fidan reiterated that so far, the evacuation of 170 citizens and their relatives has been ensured. He also mentioned that Türkiye sent 11 planes of humanitarian aid for Palestinians to Egypt as the conflict between Israel and Palestine has been ongoing for more than a month. Türkiye has sent a total of 666 tons of aid, including a ship last Saturday loaded with material for field hospitals, ambulances and generators, to Egypt to treat civilians who have been able to flee Israel’s relentless attacks against the Hamas resistance group in the enclave.
Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip in response to an unprecedented Hamas incursion on Oct. 7, which killed an estimated 1,200 people and saw 240 hostages taken to Gaza. Israel’s ensuing aerial bombardment and ground offensive have killed at least 13,000 people, including thousands of children, and internally displaced 1.6 million people – about two-thirds of Gaza’s population. It also targeted several hospitals, including the enclave’s only cancer treatment facility, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital. As a result, Türkiye decided to welcome cancer patients for treatment in the country.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca late Sunday announced on social media that 61 Palestinian patients and 49 carers were transferred from Gaza to Egypt. The patients, who will spend the night in the hospital in El-Arish, will be brought to Ankara by plane.
“The treatment of every patient from Gaza is our duty toward our brothers and the wounded conscience of humanity,” the minister said.
Hakan Fidan also spoke about counterterrorism efforts, particularly against the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group openly backed by the United States. Fidan said their priority in Syria is eradicating the terrorism threat from the PKK/YPG and Daesh.
“Unfortunately, some countries, under the pretext of fighting against Daesh, continue supporting the PKK/YPG. We repeatedly said it was a strategic mistake,” he said.
Fidan emphasized that in their yearlong talks with the U.S. administration, they reiterated that support for the PKK/YPG, unilateral sanctions against Türkiye and the presence of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) in the U.S. contradicted the spirit of the alliance.
“We repeatedly said that they should take concrete steps to correct their wrong stance on issues directly affecting our national security,” he said.
Fidan, nevertheless, added that they were continuing cooperation in many regional and international matters in which Türkiye had a joint interest with the United States.
On Türkiye’s relations with the European Union, which has seen a process of revitalization in recent months, Fidan said two sides should have a concrete, positive agenda in the face of geopolitical challenges.
“Türkiye adheres to its goal of EU membership and pursues constructive policies to improve cooperation and dialogue in every field. Yet, we occasionally see the EU lacks a strategic vision, as is the case in the European Commission’s '2023 Türkiye Report.' The current challenges we are facing indicate that Turkish-EU relations are too strategic not to reduce to narrow-minded search for interest for some member countries,” he said.
