Humanity must prevent further violations of international law in Gaza: Erdogan
In a letter to Pope Francis on Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “Humanity must prevent further violations of international law in Gaza.”
Erdogan also stated that humanity should speak out against the bombing of hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches, emphasising that these should never be targeted, even in times of war.
“Without a fair resolution of the Palestine-israel issue, establishing lasting peace and stability in the Middle East is not possible,” he added.
“It is impossible to establish lasting peace and stability in the Middle East without a just solution to the Palestinian-israeli conflict. An independent, sovereign and geographically integrated Palestinian State within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, must emerge and take its place in the global system as an equal member of the international community,” Erdogan also underlined.
Erdogan further emphasised in the letter that Turkey has become the second-largest country providing aid to Gaza, with nearly 45,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies since October 7, 2023.
“The treatment of 429 sick and wounded Gazans, including Christians, with 450 persons accompanying them, continues in Turkey,” he also said.
Erdogan stated that killing is forbidden in all Abrahamic
faiths, adding that humanity ‘must no longer allow international law and international humanitarian law to be trampled on in Gaza’.
“It must raise its voice against the deliberate bombing
of hospitals, schools, mosques and churches that should not be violated, even in wartime,” he said.
International cooperation
The president also touched upon international cooperation in humanitarian efforts for Gaza.
“The challenges that we face, particularly the indiscriminate Israeli attacks in Gaza, where deaths by starvation occur due to the failure to deliver humanitarian aid even during the holy month of Ramadan, and the global impact of the Ukraine War, which is now in its third year, require the international community to act in cooperation and coordination,” he said.
Erdogan reiterated Turkey’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity in the letter. “Turkey, while supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, with its motto of humanitarian diplomacy, has also been, and continues to be, at the forefront in the defence of the right to life of the innocent Palestinian civilians and their just cause,” he said.
Mentioning that hateful ideologies such as Islamophobia, racism and xenophobia ‘are spreading worldwide’, Erdogan called for ‘inclusive and rational policies’.
“With this mindset, we are determined to further develop our dialogue and cooperation with the Holy See to promote a culture of peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding, on the basis of our common human values and our aim to serve world peace,” he said.
Head of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs, Ali Erbas, conveyed Erdogan’s letter during his visit to the Pope, who he said was grateful to the president for ‘what he has done’.
Without a fair resolution of the Palestine-israel issue, establishing lasting peace and stability in the Middle East is not possible RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN