ANKARA: Turkey, a prominent critic of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, plans to use the upcoming UN General Assembly to highlight what it calls the genocide of Palestinians.
President Tayyip Erdoğan and several Turkish ministers will attend the assembly in New York during a period marked by intense cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, in addition to the ongoing Israeli’ war on Gaza which has so far left over 41455 Palestinians, mostly children and women, dead.
As a NATO member, Turkey has condemned Israel’s operations in Gaza, which were initiated in response to a Hamas attack on October 7 of last year. The country has suspended all trade with Israel and is pursuing a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Israel has rejected these genocide claims, maintaining that its military actions are acts of self-defense aimed at Hamas. Erdoğan is set to address the assembly on Tuesday, where he will discuss what he describes as “ongoing genocide in Gaza” and call for reforms to the UN structure for greater inclusivity, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
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The Turkish delegation, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, intends to prioritize the Gaza issue in all discussions and bilateral meetings during the week. Fidan has urged Muslim counterparts in New York to leverage their networks to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza.
Erdoğan has already met with leaders from Serbia and Albania, with additional talks anticipated regarding counter-terrorism, mediation, regional relations, and investments.
