Erdoğan: The Two-State Solution Is the Only Path to Ending the Palestinian Crisis
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at the “United Nations High-Level International Conference on Finding a Solution to the Question of Palestine and Implementing the Two-State Solution”, organized at the initiative of France and Saudi Arabia, emphasized the urgent need to halt the killings in Gaza and to support the two-state solution.
Referring to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Erdoğan said: “The massacre in Gaza continues with full intensity, and no conscience can accept what is happening or remain silent in the face of such genocide.”
Erdoğan, expressing appreciation for the countries that have recognized Palestine, added: “I congratulate those countries that have recognized Palestine. I hope this step and similar initiatives will accelerate the process of realizing the two-state solution.”
Stating that the Palestinian issue has now become a global matter, Erdoğan accused the government of Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to destroy the prospect of a two-state solution and to expel the Palestinian people through policies of occupation and annexation. He warned: “This goal must never be allowed to succeed.”
The Turkish president also said: “The Netanyahu government, which governs a people who themselves were threatened by the oppression of the Holocaust, is now committing genocide against their thousand-year-old neighbors with whom they share land and water.”
In conclusion, Erdoğan called on the international community to stop expansionist actions in the West Bank, the creation of new realities in East Jerusalem, and efforts to destabilize the region. He stressed: “It is now time to declare an immediate ceasefire, to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Gaza without obstruction, and for Israeli forces to withdraw from the area.”
At the Same Conference, Macron Announced That France Recognizes Palestine
French President Emmanuel Macron, at the United Nations International Conference on resolving the Palestinian issue and implementing the two-state solution, declared that his country recognizes the State of Palestine. Emphasizing the urgent need to end the war in Gaza, Macron said there is no justification for the continuation of violence and that the international community bears responsibility for establishing a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. He also called for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas.
Macron stressed that this decision does not mean diminishing Israel’s rights and could even contribute to Israel’s security. With France’s move, the number of countries recognizing Palestine has reached 152 out of 193 UN member states, in addition to the Vatican, which, though not a UN member, also recognizes Palestine. Several other countries announced during the UN General Assembly that they will soon recognize Palestine as well.
