Global system facing legitimacy crisis: President Erdoğan
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks at an AK Party meeting at the Turkish Parliament, April 14, 2026. (DHA File Photo)


President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the international system is facing a deep legitimacy crisis, warning that diplomacy has been replaced by weapons, as he called for renewed efforts toward dialogue, justice and peace.

Addressing the 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Erdoğan expressed hope that discussions and decisions made during the gathering would strengthen solidarity among nations and contribute to resolving ongoing crises, particularly the Israeli violence in Gaza.

He emphasized that the global system established after World War II is losing credibility, with its core values, rules and institutions increasingly undermined.

"The international system established by the victors 80 years ago is now facing a deep crisis of legitimacy," he said.

Erdoğan noted that international law has lost its deterrent effect on actors committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, adding that a growing reliance on military force instead of diplomacy has created an environment where no one feels secure.

He reaffirmed that Türkiye’s foreign policy prioritizes resolving conflicts through peaceful means, stressing that sustainable peace cannot be achieved without the active involvement of regional actors.

Erdoğan highlighted Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts in regions including Gaza, Ukraine, Iran and Africa, describing them as grounded in principled and realistic approaches.

He also underlined the critical role of parliaments in representing the will of nations and contributing to global peace efforts, while criticizing the international community’s slow response to crises in the Middle East.

Erdoğan pointed to recent developments, noting that while global attention has shifted to tensions involving Iran, thousands of people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Palestine and Lebanon, with more than one million displaced in Lebanon.