Türkiye will make every effort to ensure Israel “gets appropriate punishment” in the ongoing genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday.
“Türkiye welcomes the case South Africa filed against Israel at the International Court of Justice to punish the genocide in Palestine and hopes this righteous case will reach a conclusion adhering to human rights,” Erdoğan told South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa in a phone call, Turkish diplomatic sources informed.
The two leaders discussed Israel’s attacks on Palestine, bilateral ties and global issues, the sources said.
The ICJ is set to deliver its order on Friday in the genocide case against Israel.
On Dec. 29, South Africa filed a lawsuit with the ICJ requesting an injunction against Israel on the grounds that Israel's attacks on Gaza violate the U.N. Genocide Convention.
South Africa is requesting that the ICJ grant interim injunctions, including that Israel immediately cease its military operations in Gaza, take reasonable measures to prevent the genocide of Palestinians, ensure that the displaced people can return to their homes and have access to humanitarian assistance, including adequate food, water, fuel and medical supplies.
It also wants the court to take necessary steps to punish those involved in the genocide.
Türkiye has been a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause and continues diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.
Although relations with Western allies who hold a definite pro-Israel stance 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 EU, who classify it as a terrorist organization.
Ankara has resolutely backed South Africa’s initiative, assuring it would closely follow the case and condemning Israel’s “expansionist mentality and actions that completely ignore human rights, international law and moral principles that have led to the catastrophic situation in Gaza.”
Türkiye has also called for the establishment of a guarantorship mechanism that monitors and ensures peace between Israelis and Palestinians, while decrying the international community’s “failure” to stop the bloodshed in Gaza.
