President Erdoğan: “It is extremely important for Israel to be isolated internationally as long as its aggression continues.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during the Extraordinary Joint Summit Meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League in Riyadh, stated, “As Islamic countries, we must lead the steps that can be taken against Israel. First and foremost, it is extremely important to implement an arms embargo against Israel, to terminate trade with Israel, and to isolate Israel internationally as long as its aggression continues.”

President Erdoğan participated in the Extraordinary Joint Summit Meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, where he made a speech. In his speech, President Erdoğan said, “In the massacres carried out by Israel in Gaza and other Palestinian territories, to date, 50 thousand Palestinians have been martyred, 70% of whom are women and children. Among our martyrs are politicians, leaders of resistance, and our brothers who are striving for a ceasefire and peace within Hamas’s political wing.”

In his speech, wishing mercy for the martyrs and urgent healing for the wounded, President Erdoğan stated, “While the Netanyahu government escalates military tension against Iran on the one hand, it continues its attacks on Lebanon on the other. Israel cannot tolerate even the humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, holding the aid materials sent for months in Egypt. While we focus on achieving an urgent ceasefire, it is essential to find immediate solutions for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. Turkey has sent more than 84 thousand tons of aid materials to Gaza to date. It is ready to send much more when the obstacles are removed.”

“Israel’s aim is to destroy the Palestinian existence and ultimately annex it”

President Erdoğan remarked, “The Israeli Parliament recently aims to eliminate the two-state solution by banning the UN aid agency UNRWA and preventing Palestinian refugees from returning to their homeland. Israel’s goal is to settle in Gaza, to destroy the Palestinian existence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and ultimately to annex it. Step by step, we are heading towards this; we must prevent it. While a handful of Western countries provide all kinds of military, political, economic, and moral support to Israel, the insufficient reaction of Muslim countries has unfortunately led to the current situation on the ground. It is extremely important for us to continue our initiatives in coordination to take particularly coercive measures against those who commit genocide in Palestine based on international law and the UN charter. We cannot allow the differences in our views and attitudes to hinder our common causes. We sincerely wish for our Palestinian brothers to be able to achieve national unity among themselves. We also encourage this further.”

President Erdoğan concluded his speech by stating:

“As Islamic countries, we must lead the steps that can be taken against Israel. First and foremost, it is extremely important to implement an arms embargo against Israel, to terminate trade with Israel, and to isolate Israel internationally as long as its aggression continues. Our initiative to stop arms sales to Israel has received support from 52 countries and two international organizations, including two permanent members of the Security Council. We should encourage the maximum number of countries, especially the organization members, to intervene in the case opened by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice. As Turkey, we have implemented trade restrictions against Israel. We are ready to implement all concrete and realistic proposals that will make the Netanyahu government feel the cost of its occupation of Palestinian territories. The UN General Assembly accepted the decision regarding Palestine for the implementation of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on September 18. I believe it is important for us to closely monitor its implementation. We all see the impossibility of reaching a two-state solution by seeking the consent of the current Israeli government. Under these circumstances, we should encourage more countries to recognize the state of Palestine. Since October 7, 9 more countries have recognized Palestine. I believe that we will see the days when the state of Palestine becomes a UN member, overcoming the resistance in the Security Council. It is promising that more than 90 countries participated in the International Coalition Meeting held in Riyadh on October 30-31 to advance the two-state solution. I pray to my Lord that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League will show the world that they are united and of one heart on the Palestinian issue, and I hope that the decisions to be taken will be followed by all countries.”