UNITED NATIONS: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called for the immediate reconstruction of Gaza, wider international recognition of a Palestinian state and reform of the UN Security Council, while warning that attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea were unacceptable regardless of who was responsible.
Addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Erdogan urged countries that have not recognised Palestine to reconsider their positions. He said efforts to prevent Palestinian statehood would ultimately fail.
“Attempts to strangle the state of Palestine will end in failure,” Erdogan said.
He said Turkiye would continue supporting the establishment of an independent and territorially integrated Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
“We will be the voice of a free and sovereign state of Palestine,” Erdogan said, referring to the absence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from the General Assembly for a second consecutive year.
Gaza reconstruction and pressure on Israel
Erdogan called for the reconstruction of Gaza to begin without delay and urged the international community to increase pressure on Israel.
“We need to begin the reconstruction of Gaza without wasting any time. In this regard, I call on you to exert greater pressure on Israel,” he said.
He described Gaza as the world’s largest cemetery for children and said it had the world’s highest rate of child amputations.
Erdogan said 74,000 Palestinians had “fallen victim to Israel’s state terrorism” and accused Israel of pursuing a “genocidal mindset”.
He also described Gaza as “the most inhumane, most shameful concentration camp of our time”.
Erdogan also criticised Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank, saying Palestinians there were facing the most severe period of “occupier terror”.
Calls for UN Security Council reform
Erdogan said the United Nations had become unable to fulfil its mission of maintaining international peace and security.
He pointed to conflicts in Palestine, Lebanon and Sudan, saying people who had placed their hopes in the UN had been disappointed.
He renewed his long-standing call for reform of the Security Council, arguing that the current system gives disproportionate influence to its five permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.
“A system in which the will of more than 190 countries is subject to the whims of five countries is neither fair nor capable of fully establishing trust,” Erdogan said.
He has repeatedly used the phrase “the world is bigger than five” to argue for a more representative international system. Erdogan called for comprehensive reform of the council and criticised the veto system.
“Impunity leads to decay,” he said, calling for international law to be applied consistently.
Black Sea shipping attacks
Erdogan also warned against attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea as the Russia-Ukraine war affects maritime traffic.
“The recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea are unacceptable, regardless of who is responsible for them,” he told the General Assembly.
Armed attacks, often involving drones, have increased in recent months. Turkish-owned vessels have been affected, while Ankara has pushed Russia and Ukraine to agree to a moratorium on attacks against commercial shipping.
Turkiye’s Chamber of Maritime Commerce (IMEAK) has said 226 civilian and commercial vessels have been attacked in the Black Sea since the start of the war, with more than 70% of those attacks occurring this year.
Ukraine, Syria and regional security
Erdogan said Turkiye wanted the Russia-Ukraine war to end while protecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also said Turkiye viewed Syria as moving towards becoming a safe and peaceful state and pledged continued support for the Syrian people.
Erdogan also stressed the importance of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a major concern amid wider regional tensions.
“Turkiye believes freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be preserved,” he said.
Erdogan said Europe could not become stronger or more secure while excluding Turkiye from its security architecture.
