Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday warned the international community of a "major disaster" in Gaza as Israel continues pounding on the blockaded enclave.
"The world must take measures to prevent the starvation of 2 million Palestinians held hostage by Israel in Gaza and the outbreak of diseases, otherwise it could be very late," Fidan told reporters at a news conference with his Albanian counterpart Igli Hasani in the capital Tirana.
"Humanitarian aid and medical supplies not permitted to enter Gaza are currently indicative of a major disaster inside," Fidan warned.
"Thousands of innocent civilians continue to be killed. We are facing another level of tragedy," he added.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened under relentless Israeli airstrikes and ground operations retaliating an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
The onslaught has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, displaced 85% of the blockaded enclave's population and created conditions for famine. A quarter of 2.3 million Gazans are starving, officials say.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its interim ruling in the genocide case filed by South Africa, ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza and enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians.
Tel Aviv also has to submit a report to the ICJ on all measures taken to give effect to this order within one month.
Hospitals, schools, refugee camps and aid organizations have not so far been spared from Israeli shelling, including the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which lost 152 of its personnel and saw at least 141 of its facilities damaged in Israeli attacks.
Israel has accused some staff of the U.N. agency of participating in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, prompting UNRWA to fire several members and numerous countries, including the United States, France, Britain, Germany and Japan, to announce they were suspending further funding to the U.N. agency.
Alongside a U.N. investigation, the EU has demanded an "urgent" audit of the allegations, but the UNRWA has warned it will not be able to continue its services and operations across the region, including in Gaza, beyond the end of February, if funding is not resumed.
On Sunday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the U.N.'s World Health Organization (WHO), called on donors not to suspend financial support to the UNRWA despite the allegations. Tedros said on X: "We appeal to donors not to suspend their funding to UNRWA at this critical moment. Cutting off funding will only hurt the people of Gaza who desperately need support."
Türkiye, too, on Sunday expressed concern about the move and urged donors to reconsider their decision, stressing that it "primarily harmed Palestinian civilians."
Turning to Türkiye-Albania relations, Fidan hailed "historical closeness and unshakable bonds" between the two nations on Monday.
He said he and Hasani had "a very productive meeting" where they reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining bilateral relations and cooperation in economy, trade, diplomacy, regional issues and culture.
"Our cooperation could contribute to regional development. There are multiple mechanisms to advance this further," Fidan noted.
The two countries are aiming to boost mutual trade volume to $2 billion and hold their very first high-level strategic cooperation council meeting in 2024, according to Fidan, who added that he had the opportunity to meet Turkish businesspeople in Albania during his visit.
Fidan said the sides have reiterated their sensitivity on eradicating the remnants of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) in Albania, as well.
"We discussed what measures we can take and how we can proceed on the matter, as well as regional security and the war on terror in general," the Turkish diplomat said.
FETÖ, which was behind a July 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye that left 251 people dead and thousands injured, boasts an international network that funded its infiltrations in the Turkish judiciary, education and military.
Ankara has worked in close cooperation with many nations in helping expose terrorist activity, shut down or take over schools, and freeze bank accounts and assets. However, the terrorists still maintain a persistent presence in dozens of countries, the most notable of which is the U.S., which has yet to extradite ringleader Fetullah Gülen.
