President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday condemned escalating Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, warning that efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their homeland were becoming increasingly brazen amid what he described as international indifference.
Speaking at the TRT World Forum in Istanbul, Erdoğan said settler violence targeting Palestinians who have lived on their ancestral lands for centuries was intensifying as the international community failed to respond effectively.
"Settler terrorism aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians from the lands they have inhabited for centuries is becoming more brazen by the day under the indifferent gaze of the modern world," Erdoğan said.
Since Aug. 9, Israeli occupiers have besieged three Palestinian homes in Qusra, while the Israeli army has also prevented the families from entering or leaving them, claiming the area is a "closed military zone.”
The West Bank is home to some 500,000 illegal Israeli settlers and at least 3 million Palestinians. U.N. bodies and most countries deem the settlements illegal under international law regarding military occupations.
Erdoğan underlined that more than 3,000 attacks and violations targeting Palestinians in the West Bank had been recorded in October alone.
He further criticized the effectiveness of the international system in addressing conflicts and humanitarian crises, arguing that the international system established 81 years ago is no longer capable of addressing today's global challenges, warning that wars, conflicts, instability, hunger and poverty continue to affect tens of millions of people worldwide.
"Not only we, but the entire world now sees and understands this reality: Yesterday's solutions cannot resolve today's problems. We are all closely witnessing the deadlocks of the current international system, designed 81 years ago by those who held power and privilege at the time," Erdoğan said.
"When we look at developments unfolding in different parts of the world, particularly in our region, it is clear that the system has raised the white flag of surrender," he added.
The president accused international organizations tasked with maintaining peace, security and stability of failing to act in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"International institutions responsible for ensuring peace, security and stability are watching events in Gaza from the sidelines, just as they did in Rwanda, Srebrenica and many other places marked by bloodshed," he said.
Israeli attacks have killed 1,583 Palestinians and wounded 5,711 others since the cease-fire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Israel’s genocidal war has killed more than 74,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded more than 175,000 others since October 2023, the ministry also said.
Moreover, the president stated that the Gaza peace agreement, which Türkiye helped facilitate, is not being implemented, criticizing the failure to uphold commitments under the deal.
"The Gaza peace agreement, which we also contributed to bringing about, is unfortunately not being implemented. The principle of honoring commitments, a cornerstone of international relations, is not being upheld. Everyone must understand that no problem can be resolved this way," Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan also referred to an Iranian proverb to highlight the inadequacy of the U.N. while accusing international institutions of failing to protect Palestinians: "They take no action beyond watching humanitarian tragedies with concern or expressing their worries. As the famous Iranian proverb goes, 'they gather, talk and disperse.'"
