Statement of the President of the Republic of Türkiye on the 2025 International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

 

Mr. Coly Seck Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I would like to express once again, personally and on behalf of my country, the unwavering and strong support we extend to the just cause of our Palestinian brothers and sisters, who have been subjected to oppression, occupation, persecution and denial for decades, and who have been the victims of genocide for the past two years. Over the past two years, more than 70.000 Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza, mostly women and children, have been martyred in Israeli attacks, over 170.000 have been injured, and millions have been forcibly displaced from their homes. More than 80 percent of Gaza has been reduced to rubble, its whole social infrastructure has been destroyed, and the people of Gaza have been left to face forcible migration and starvation. The use of starvation as a weapon has been confirmed by UN agency reports. Occupation and annexation policies have speeded up in the West Bank. Settlements have expanded, and the number of acts of harassment against Al-Aqsa Mosque has increased in both frequency and audacity. Since the Nakba of 1948, the efforts and initiatives of the international community have unfortunately been insufficient to prevent the unlawful actions committed against the Palestinian people. Encouraged by its impunity, Israel has continued its attacks with increasing intensity every day, despite the reaction of the entire international public opinion. Israel has not hesitated to target institutions and civil society organizations striving to meet the urgent basic needs of the Palestinian people, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Israel's ban on UNRWA is null and void in terms of international law and also constitutes a violation of its obligations to the United Nations. Moreover, we have all witnessed how Israel's expansionism and aggression has spread from Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria to Iran and Qatar. These unlawful actions have proven that Israel itself is now a threat to regional security. It is evident that there must be accountability for all the sufferings endured and the martyrs sacrificed by the Palestinian people. To ensure that future generations in Palestine and the region are not subjected to similar sufferings again, it is imperative that those responsible for the genocide in Gaza are tried in international courts and serve their sentences. It is now time for humanity to act righteously towards the Palestinian people, who have sustained their existence for decades through resistance against injustice, cruelty, and oppression. In fact, many countries, including the permanent members of the UN Security Council, have recognized Palestine, which raised hopes. The next step should be the full membership of the State of Palestine in the UN. I would like to express my hope that the ceasefire achieved in Gaza, thanks to the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people, will constitute the first step toward ending the sufferings on the ground. I hope that the constructive role Türkiye has played in this process will contribute to the continuation of the ceasefire and, subsequently, to the establishment of peace, stability, and prosperity in Palestine and the region. We aim to support all steps taken towards the reconstruction of Gaza and to provide the highest possible contribution. As Türkiye, we will continue our efforts with the same determination and unwavering resolve to ensure the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and to establish an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian State on the 1967 borders, with East al-Quds as its capital. Despite all tribulations, I maintain my conviction that the international

 community will stand firm against Israel’s stance, which opposes a lasting solution. With these thoughts in mind, I wish the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People success in its endeavours to defend the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Palestinian people, and I greet you with my warmest feelings. 

 Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN President of the Republic of Türkiye.