Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday urged Israel to recognize Palestine as an independent state if it seeks “lasting peace” in the Middle East.
Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Erdogan emphasized that any initiative aimed at a permanent Israel-Palestinian solution would remain incomplete without the establishment of a “sovereign and geographically integrated” Palestinian state.
“If Israel wants lasting peace in the region, it must stop pursuing its expansionist ambitions and accept the existence of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders (…) with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he said.
The Turkish leader stressed that ending the “humanitarian tragedy” in Gaza and the conflicts that risk spreading to the region depends on Israel recognizing the most “fundamental rights” of the Palestinian people.
“We support the steps taken in the light of international law to monitor the war and crimes against humanity committed against our Gazan brothers. We will never leave our Palestinian brothers abandoned, helpless and alone,” he underscored.
Erdogan also expressed “regret” for the growing attacks on the “reputation” of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), after several western countries recently suspended their funding to the agency following accusations by Israel that some of its employees were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
“We invite all conscientious countries to support the Agency, which is the lifeline for 6 million refugees living in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories,” he said.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry recently alleged that UNRWA was “part of the problem” in Gaza and it “must be replaced by a civilian body” that is not affiliated with the Islamist group Hamas.
Earlier this month, UNRWA warned that it would be forced to suspend its humanitarian operations in Gaza and the Middle East by the end of February if funding to the organization was not resumed.
