Palestine was the main focus of Kurtulmuş’s speech at the trilateral parliamentary meeting
The Speakers of the Parliaments of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Pakistan gathered in Islamabad and underlined the need to expand trilateral cooperation in various fields.
Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, said at the meeting that relations among the three countries should be elevated to a permanent and institutional level. He described military and defense cooperation, including joint exercises and defense industry production, as examples of this process and stressed the importance of deepening it. Kurtulmuş also highlighted the necessity of cooperation against threats such as terrorism, illegal migration and drug trafficking.
In his remarks, Kurtulmuş evaluated developments in the South Caucasus, the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and regional projects such as the Middle Corridor positively, saying that these could contribute to the region’s economic and political development. He also referred to the Syrian government’s efforts for stability and political unity and called for support to that country.
The issue of Palestine formed a significant part of Kurtulmuş’s speech. He stressed that the ceasefire must become permanent, the blockade of Gaza must end, and those responsible for recent crimes must be held accountable before international courts. He also welcomed the growing number of countries recognizing Palestine, describing it as the result of global efforts in support of the Palestinian people.
Kurtulmuş added that it is not enough to settle for a ceasefire alone and warned that neglecting the struggle for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state could prolong the crisis. He said Turkey, Azerbaijan and Pakistan should play a more active role in strengthening the Parliamentary Group in Support of Palestine and turn this mechanism into a more effective tool for defending the rights of the Palestinian people.
Kurtulmuş went on to describe Turkey’s relations with Pakistan and Azerbaijan as “one nation, three states” and emphasized the historical solidarity among these countries. He also reiterated Turkey’s support for Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, stating that resolving this conflict is essential for peace and stability in South Asia.
