The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) of Türkiye has urged for international action to stop the ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank.
"As the Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the AK Party, we call on the international community to make every effort possible to help end the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza and the West Bank, and achieve a just and lasting peaceful settlement between Israel and Palestine," Zafer Sırakaya said Thursday in a statement.
"We reject any attack on the elderly, women or children, regardless of who perpetrates it or for whatever reason," Sırakaya said.
He also highlighted the unprecedented humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.
The AK Party underscored the alarming number of children losing limbs, condemning the actions as a violation of human rights.
Decrying how the U.N. Security Council "has failed to intervene," the AK Party welcomed South Africa's recent case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), saying "it will be highly important to act upon the implementation of its ruling including the provisional measures, if the ICJ so decides."
Sırakaya also mentioned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's active engagement in crisis resolution efforts.
Emphasizing the urgent need to bring "stability," he called for the resolution of the Palestinian issue based on international law, advocating a two-state solution.
The party stressed the need to address the root cause of the conflict, namely the Israeli occupation, and called for an independent, sovereign State of Palestine based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, he added.
With nearly 90% of Gaza's population forcibly displaced, Sırakaya said: "We need to address the issue of occupation because some Israeli authorities are already calling for the expulsion of all Palestinians from their land."
"Israeli politicians used two incompatible terms: ‘Voluntary displacement.' Forced displacements are unacceptable and constitute a breach of international humanitarian law," he added.
The party also expressed readiness to collaborate for peace and alleviate further suffering in the region.
Türkiye has been a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause and continues diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, including an offer of a guarantorship model.
Ankara’s stand with Palestine led to a deterioration of ties with Israel, though the two sides took mutual steps for a thaw right before the start of the new round of conflict on Oct. 7.
Relations with Western allies who hold a definite pro-Israel stance, too, went into a downward spiral again.
Erdoğan has since declared Israel “a terrorist state” for its indiscriminate bombing and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the “Butcher of Gaza.”
He has also described Hamas as a “liberation organization” much to the chagrin of the United States and the European Union, who classify it as a terrorist organization.
