Speaking at the opening of an emergency meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) states in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged efforts for wider recognition of the Palestinian state by the international community and its inclusion in the United Nations General Assembly.
"What the Palestinian people need is our collective action," Fidan told fellow ministers in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah as the top diplomat of the current chairperson of the OIC.
The minister said they appreciated support for the Palestinians’ fair cause, but it was not enough. He added that high-level participation in the meeting was a strong expression of that extent.
“Recognition of the State of Palestine is the ultimate truth. We need a strong, coordinated response; we need to put pressure on Israel for a lasting solution,” he said.
Türkiye is the primary supporter of the Palestinian cause and a major opponent of Israel’s genocidal policies that have led to the deaths of thousands of people since October 2023. It long sought to mobilize the Muslim world for a permanent cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians and advocates that admitting Palestine into the international fold is key to a lasting solution to the longstanding conflict. Recognizing the State of Palestine is essential to that extent, and calls for recognition increased as several European countries announced plans for recognition. The recognition moves are likely to be on the agenda at September’s U.N. General Assembly. Fidan pointed out the significance of the assembly, where the situation in Gaza and Israel’s atrocities will likely dominate the speeches of world leaders. “Thus, the OIC and the collective conscience of the ummah should have a stronger voice,” he said.
Fidan pointed out that Israel did not aim for peace with Palestine and its true goal was to annihilate the Palestinians. “We cannot allow this; they have to be stopped,” he said.
The minister began his speech by saluting the resistance of the Palestinian people and expressing support for “their fair cause for freedom, peace, stability and having a (recognized) state.” “It is indispensable to mobilize the international community. Our meeting here focuses on three goals: stopping the war, having a united voice among the ummah and rallying the international community.”
He said the genocide was continuing in Gaza, where people fought famine. “More than half a million people are at risk,” he said. “This is not a natural disaster; Israel’s deliberate blockade of aid led to famine. It added another crime to Israel’s war crimes,” he lamented.
"Meanwhile, Israeli military operations expand deeper into Gaza City, where millions have taken refuge. Settlement projects in the West Bank threaten the vision of a contiguous and sovereign Palestinian state," Fidan said.
"It is clear that Israel does not seek peace but the erasure of Palestine; this cannot be allowed," he said, condemning the "extremist provocations," including those by Israeli ministers, desecrating the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds.
Stating that the immediate priority is a lasting cease-fire, he said: "Hamas has already accepted the cease-fire plan proposed by our Qatari and Egyptian brothers. We will continue to support the peace efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the United States and do our best to help mediators. A deal is within reach, but the aggressor must also agree."
He emphasized the importance of ensuring Palestinians remain in Gaza and said that the Gaza Strip must be rebuilt collectively.
"Thanks to our collective efforts, the awareness of the international community is growing. Public opinion in Western societies has finally begun to shift," he added.
"The tide is turning against Israel's policies of occupation and oppression," Fidan said, adding that the high-level conference in New York, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France in July, marked "a historic milestone that rallied global support for the two-state solution." He emphasized that many countries, including France, the U.K., Canada and Australia, announced they would recognize the Palestinian state.
Stressing that the recognition of the Palestinian state has now become an "irreversible reality," the minister said recognition is not sufficient alone and Palestine also needs financial, technical and institutional support to stand on firm ground.
"If a cease-fire is not secured soon, Israel will continue its occupation plans and escalate its adversities," he warned, suggesting that efforts should focus on securing Palestine's full U.N. membership, possibly suspending Israel from the General Assembly, and planning Gaza's reconstruction through the Arab-Islamic plan.
Pointing out that the OIC was born to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque and to safeguard the Palestinian cause, he said any "weakness on these fronts risks eroding our very reason for existence. Furthermore, Israel's aggression will not stop with Palestine."
"The frequent and unlawful attacks of the Netanyahu regime on Syria, Lebanon and Iran reveal a broader and sinister agenda to destabilize our entire region. If not stopped, this reckless course threatens to engulf the Middle East and beyond," Fidan said.
"Let our resolution today be a pledge: Palestine will endure, and its people, God Willing, will attain freedom, justice, and peace," he added.
Israel has killed nearly 62,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in a brutal onslaught on Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is also facing famine.
