National Statement by the Ahmet Yildiz Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Turkiye

23 DECEMBER 2023 TEHRAN IRAN

 

FİLİSTİN KONUSUNDA SİYASİ ÜST DÜZEY İSTİŞARE KONFERANSI
HİTAP METNİ

 

Mr. Chair,

 I join others in thanking brotherly Iran for convening this conference.

 We believe that it will contribute to our joint efforts to end the bloodshed in Palestine.

 One of the greatest tragedies of recent history is unfolding before our eyes.

 No civilian object is spared be it residential buildings, hospitals, schools or even places of worship. There is no shelter left for civilians, kids, sick or the wounded.

 The civilian death toll has exceeded 20 thousand just within 2,5 months. The humanity has not seen such levels of deaths in armed conflicts in near history. 

 Nobody should look the other way in the face of war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.

 These crimes are putting the rules-based international system at stake.

 Once the moral compass is lost, we all find ourselves in unchartered territory. If international law is replaced by the rules of the jungle, it is no longer possible to uphold the values of our age.

 In other words, if we do not hold the Israelis accountable for commission of war crimes, such outrageous behavior will be emulated easily elsewhere.

 As like-minded countries, we should act in unity and with one voice against Israeli aggression.

 We should keep up with our joint efforts to increase pressure on both Israel and its blind supporters.

 We are following up on the implementation of the decisions taken at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation-Arab League Joint Summit held in Riyadh.

 As part of the ministerial group made up of Foreign Ministers mandated by the joint resolution of the summit, our Foreign Minister visited several capitals for joint demarches to achieve peace.

 They have made certain progress and our collective efforts are going on.

  

Dear collegaues,

 Ignoring the root causes of today’s problems between Israel and Palestine will not contribute to the solution at all.  

 Therefore, what needs to be done is crystal clear:

 i)             Immediate cessation of hostilities must be delivered.

 ii)            Sustainable and unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza must absolutely be ensured.    

 iii)           The parties must be brought together to agree on a two-state solution, living side by side in secure and on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine.  

 It is time to act and deliver. We need less words, more action.

 Meanwhile we continue to do our utmost for healing the wounds of the Gazan people.    

 So far, we sent some 3,600 tons of humanitarian assistance. Our aid included food parcels, field hospitals, ambulances, medical supplies, equipment and medicine, many generators and potable power supplies, drinking water, mobile kitchen and shelter materials.

 Besides, a total of 283 Palestinian patients and injured were brought to Türkiye for treatment.

 We also made additional contributions to the UN Palestine Refugee Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) within the scope of the Urgent Appeal of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

 We are gathered here today to express our solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right cause.

 Palestinians want dignity.

 Palestinians want emancipation.

 Palestinians want the end of occupation.

 We all have to put our minds and hands together to help Palestinians achieve their objectives.

 It’s long overdue and the time has come.

 

Thank you.