A group of lawmakers from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the party’s senior figures will visit the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza on Monday. The visit aims to highlight the ongoing genocide in the Palestinian enclave and raise the world’s attention to the humanitarian crisis, a party official said on Sunday.
The party’s deputy chair, Hasan Basri Yalçın, who is in charge of human rights affairs, said in a written statement that Israel’s aggression that knows no rights and laws should be stopped. “They recklessly move and do not hesitate in setting the entire region on fire. The global system only watches this,” Yalçın lamented. A delegation of 30 people will visit the crossing. Ahmet Erbaş and Lütfi Kaşıkçı, lawmakers from government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and deputy chair of the Greater Unity Party (BBP) Ahmet Emin Serin will accompany the AK Party lawmakers. The lawmakers will issue a joint statement to the media at the end of their visit.
Yalçın pointed out that the resilience of the Palestinian people has not been broken by bombs and missiles, but that hunger and famine are now being used as weapons.
“Almost every day, we hear reports of children dying from starvation. Israel continues to bomb hospitals and civilian infrastructure. Now, it is openly voicing plans to occupy Gaza. All of this is happening before the eyes of the international community and organizations. Unfortunately, the world has failed to stop this aggression and brutality,” he said.
Yalçın underlined that Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, will continue to defend the just cause of the Palestinian people on every platform.
“Sooner or later, Israel will be held accountable for these war crimes,” he said. “As Türkiye, we will continue to fight for a global system that halts genocides and ensures war criminals are tried as swiftly as possible.”
The Turkish public and government are major supporters of the Palestinian cause. Türkiye has been a traditional ally to Palestine, but as the Israeli attacks became more brutal, Ankara has become harsher in its criticism in the past year. It has condemned what it calls genocide, halted all trade with Israel and applied to join a genocide case against Israel at the World Court, which Israel rejects.
In addition to delivering humanitarian aid, Türkiye has sought to rally international organizations, including the United Nations, NATO and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to restrain Israel.
