Türkiye was quick to slam Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent appearance at the U.S. Congress where he received a standing ovation as he justified Israel's massacres targeting Palestinians. The Turkish opposition parties responded by calling on the government to invite Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and have him speak at the Turkish Parliament.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday explained that an invitation had already been extended but Abbas had yet to respond. "Some political parties say 'the government should invite the Palestinian president to Türkiye, and have him speak at Parliament.' Who says we didn't invite him?"
"President Mahmoud Abbas, who did not come despite our invitation, must apologize first. We invited him, but he didn't come. We are waiting to see if he will come," added Erdoğan.
"It does not matter if he comes or not, we raise the voice of our Palestinian brothers and sisters at every opportunity," the president added.
Türkiye is at the forefront of efforts to stop massacres in Palestine perpetrated by Israel since Oct. 7, 2023, in response to an offensive by Hamas. Hamas is recognized as a resistance movement by Türkiye, and Ankara has also mobilized to launch reconciliation efforts between Hamas and Fatah, which controls the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. Erdoğan brought together senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Abbas in Ankara recently in a rare meeting.
Wafa, the state-run news agency of the Palestinian Authority, said in a report on Sunday that Abbas would visit Türkiye soon. The agency, quoting the Palestinian Ambassador in Ankara Faed Mustafa, said Abbas would meet Erdoğan. He also said that Abbas received an invitation from Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş to deliver a speech at Parliament and officials were working to schedule this address. Mustafa emphasized the close bonds between Palestinians and Turkish people and hailed Türkiye's "unswerving" support for the rights of the Palestinian people.
Slamming Netanyahu's lies at U.S. Congress, Erdoğan on Saturday said: "When we see those who applaud the murderer of 40,000 innocent people, we worry not only for humanity but also for our own future."
Speaking at an event in the northeastern province of Rize, the president said: "Rolling out a red carpet for someone like Netanyahu, going much further and applauding his lies till their hands swell is a great mental eclipse for America."
Commenting on Netanyahu's address, he said: "The other day, we watched those disgraceful scenes in the U.S. House of Representatives together. We were ashamed on behalf of humanity in the face of what we saw there."
Erdoğan further said: "Who can guarantee that those who razed Gaza to the ground today will not set their dirty eyes on Anatolia tomorrow?"
The president often warns a spillover of conflict may affect the wider region, a concern that became more visible after escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah.
The Turkish president further said: "Since Oct. 7, Türkiye has been the conscience of humanity by standing against oppression. We have taken action for our brothers and sisters in Gaza and Palestine without hesitation, without holding back from anyone, regardless of who says what. In terms of humanitarian aid, we are the country that sent the largest amount of aid to Gaza.
"At all international meetings we participated in, we brought up the massacres committed by Israel in Gaza.”
Israel has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, according to figures by authorities in Gaza. The deadly onslaught has triggered a humanitarian disaster and an ongoing trial over genocide at the International Court of Justice.
"Who can claim that those who are silent about the massacre in Gaza today will react when the same happens to other countries? That is why we say at every opportunity that Türkiye must be strong, deterrent and self-sufficient in every field," Erdoğan noted.
