In his address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan placed extensive emphasis on the Palestinian issue and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, affirming that Türkiye would continue to defend the rights of the Palestinian people and support their aspirations for freedom and the establishment of their independent state.
Erdoğan pointed to the scale of the loss of life and destruction witnessed in the Gaza Strip over the past three years, explaining that tens of thousands of Palestinians had lost their lives and that women and children made up a large proportion of the victims. He stressed that the effects of the war remained present in the lives of residents of the Strip amid continuing destruction and humanitarian suffering.
The Turkish president said many Palestinian families were still searching for relatives and loved ones beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings, noting that mothers, fathers and children had lost family members. He said the scale of the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza required more effective international action.
In his address, Erdoğan also referred to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, noting his absence from the United Nations General Assembly hall. He said the Palestinian leadership's inability to convey its voice directly from inside the hall represented an injustice to the Palestinian people and their cause.
Erdoğan affirmed that Abbas's absence from the hall would not prevent Türkiye from continuing to convey the voice of the Palestinians to the international community. He stressed that Ankara would continue to defend the rights of the Palestinian people and support their struggle for freedom, sovereignty and independence.
The Turkish president also said the Palestinian issue could not remain unresolved and that achieving lasting peace in the region was tied to the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state. He renewed Türkiye's support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.
Erdoğan: We will see a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital
Speaking from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly, Erdoğan said: "God willing, we will see those beautiful days when an independent Palestinian state with territorial integrity is established on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital."
The Turkish president affirmed that establishing an independent Palestinian state was not only a demand of the Palestinian people but also a key step toward achieving lasting peace and stability in the region. He stressed the need for the international community to fulfill its responsibilities on the issue.
Erdoğan also called for keeping the humanitarian situation in Gaza at the top of the international agenda, working to protect civilians and meet residents' needs, and finding a lasting political solution to the Palestinian issue.
Erdoğan concluded his messages on Palestine by affirming Türkiye's continued support for the Palestinian people. He said Ankara would continue to use diplomatic channels and international forums to defend the rights of Palestinians and support the goal of establishing a free, independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
