In a social media post on Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is in the United States for the U.N. General Assembly, urged full membership for Palestine while expressing hope for more concrete action after several countries declared recognition of the State of Palestine.
"I hope countries daring to recognize the State of Palestine will back this historic stand with decisive, tangible and deterrent steps. A cease-fire should be declared, humanitarian aid into Gaza should flow without obstacles, and Israel should withdraw its forces from Gaza. Gaza is an inseparable part of Palestine and belongs to Palestinians. Palestinians will determine how they will govern their own lands. It is time for Palestine to be a full member of the United Nations. It is essential to improve the institutional capacity of Palestine, provide stronger financial and technical support, and continue the activities of humanitarian aid organizations like the UNRWA," Erdoğan said.
The president pledged that Türkiye would continue its struggle "until a geographically intact State of Palestine based on 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital came into existence."
The U.K., Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognized Palestine on Sunday, marking a significant milestone for Palestinian statehood ahead of the U.N. General Assembly, where more countries are expected to follow suit. Smaller countries joined them on Monday and Tuesday. The growing wave of recognition has been welcomed across much of the international community, viewed as part of a wider push to halt Israel's ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.
Türkiye always championed recognition of a State of Palestine, even at times of significant difference between Hamas running Gaza and the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah. Since a new round of the Palestine-Israel conflict erupted in 2023, Ankara has strived to ensure reconciliation between the two sides for a more united stand towards the establishment of a fully recognized state. Palestine's admission into the U.N. would be a significant step after statehood.
