Speaking at the Palestine Youth Forum at the Selçuklu Congress Center in Konya, Bilal Erdoğan opposed proposals to remove Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. Erdoğan said Palestinians should continue living on their own land and that reconstruction efforts should also be carried out in these areas.
Describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide,” Erdoğan said civil society organizations had carried out activities supporting Palestine across Türkiye since the beginning of the process.
He described gatherings in support of Palestine
Erdoğan said gatherings had been held at Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on the mornings of January 1 for three years in support of Palestine, adding that more than half a million Istanbul residents had come together at the latest event. He said messages of support for Palestine were delivered at these gatherings.
Erdoğan emphasized that the friendship with Palestine demonstrated by the President of Türkiye through his firm stance and leadership would continue to grow until Palestine and Jerusalem had fully gained their freedom.
Call for joint events in Islamic countries
Erdoğan described the match between Konyaspor and the Palestine national football team at MEDAŞ Konya Metropolitan Stadium as an exemplary event and called for similar events to be organized in other Islamic countries.
Erdoğan said boycotts were one of the important tools for supporting Palestine and that the focus should be on the main brands that should be boycotted rather than on dozens or hundreds of brands. Arguing that this approach would strengthen the global movement supporting Palestine, Erdoğan said those who support Israel would be forced to distance themselves from Israel.
Erdoğan said social sensitivity and awareness should be maintained until Palestine and Jerusalem were free, and called for the continuation of events organized for this purpose.
“Palestine will remain the land of the Palestinians”
Erdoğan said Israel had occupied 70 percent of Gaza to prevent reconstruction at a time when the rebuilding of Gaza was due to be discussed, and objected to Israeli settlers in the West Bank being described as “civilians.” He said Palestinian families’ homes had been burned and families had been forced to leave their homes.
Arguing that the Israeli government had not assumed responsibility for these actions, Erdoğan reacted to Israel’s portrayal of itself as the only democracy in the Middle East.
Erdoğan said 75,000 people, including 28,000 children, had been killed in Gaza, adding that children could not attend school and were trying to play among the rubble. Emphasizing that they would accept no proposal to remove Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, Erdoğan said residents of Gaza should live in Gaza and residents of the West Bank should live in the West Bank.
Erdoğan said they rejected proposals to send Palestinian youth to other countries or regions, move children to different schools or place Palestinians in camps. He said Palestinians should again be supported in building universities and homes on their own land.
Erdoğan said the Palestinian issue was a shared concern of humanity and argued that standing by as a people was destroyed before the eyes of the world meant that humanity had come to an end. He expressed hope that Palestine Day events would also be held in other cities and that people would come together at the Konyaspor–Palestine national team match.
Participants in the program
The program was attended by Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak, Konya Governor İbrahim Akın, President of the Palestinian Higher Council for Youth and Sports Jibril al-Rujoub, Director of the Youth and Sports Department of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Boubakari Maiga, Maldives Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Wellness Abdulla Rafiu, President of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum Taha Ayhan, AK Party Konya Deputy Selman Özboyacı, Deputy Foreign Minister Hacı Ali Özel and many others.
