As the international community watched world leaders deliver their speeches at the United Nations General Assembly, speeches discussing various regional and international issues, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's speech once again focused on one common theme: raising his voice for the oppressed, calling for just solutions to conflicts, and highlighting the urgent need for reform of the U.N. system.

Addressing the 81st session of the General Assembly, Erdoğan criticized double standards in the international system and international law, saying Türkiye would continue to speak out for people affected by conflicts and injustice.

"We may endure hardships, we may pay a price, but we will not remain silent in the face of injustice and we will never consent to oppression,” Erdoğan underlined.

The Turkish president cited conflicts stretching from Gaza and Ukraine to Myanmar, Darfur, Iran and Lebanon, saying hundreds of thousands of people had been killed and many more displaced.

Support for Palestinian state

He devoted a significant portion of his address to Gaza, where he criticized Israel’s military campaign and drew attention to the toll on children and other civilians.

Describing the humanitarian situation in Gaza in stark terms, Erdoğan said the enclave had become not only "the world’s largest graveyard for children” but also the place with the highest rate of child amputees due to Israel's genocidal attacks.

He said more than 74,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, had been killed in Gaza over the past three years and that more than 70% of generators at hospitals in the enclave were out of service because of fuel shortages.

The president noted that Israel killed more than 1,500 Palestinians even after a cease-fire was reached through the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump and contributions from Türkiye and other countries.

"This is not a personal issue for Tayyip Erdoğan. It is a matter of humanity,” he stressed. "No one with humanity in their heart, with compassion and mercy, and with a sense of fairness and conscience can turn a blind eye to this tragedy.”

Erdoğan also described Gaza as "the most inhumane and shameful concentration camp of our time” and slammed Israel for pursuing a "genocidal mentality with an insatiable appetite for killing.”

Saying Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was unable to attend the gathering for a second consecutive year, he pledged that Türkiye would continue to raise the Palestinian people’s voice from the U.N. podium.

"This injustice against our Palestinian brothers and sisters deeply wounds our conscience,” Erdoğan noted. "Just as last year, this year we will be the voice of a free and sovereign Palestinian state.”

He also called on countries that have yet to recognize Palestine to reconsider their position.

Turning to the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, Erdoğan said the West Bank was experiencing its worst period of Israeli illegal settler violence and criticized Israeli authorities for restricting Muslim and Christian access to holy sites in Jerusalem.

Erdoğan urged countries gathered at the U.N. to increase pressure on Israel and reiterated Türkiye’s support for a two-state solution.

"I call on you to exert greater pressure on Israel. Attempts to suffocate Palestine will fail,” Erdoğan said.

"God willing, we will see the day when an independent and territorially contiguous Palestinian state, based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, becomes a reality.”

Peace efforts for Ukraine

The talks also covered tensions involving Ukraine and Iran, with Erdoğan emphasizing the need for de-escalation and continued diplomacy.

Türkiye has sought to maintain diplomatic channels during the Russia-Ukraine war and has repeatedly offered to facilitate negotiations between the sides.

Erdoğan also raised concerns about navigation in the Black Sea, saying Türkiye expected the parties to act responsibly and was troubled by attacks targeting Turkish and foreign commercial vessels.

The Turkish president further reiterated his position on Cyprus during the talks, saying proposals that did not recognize the sovereign equality and equal international status of Turkish Cypriots would not produce a lasting solution.

Iran, Gulf diplomacy

On developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, Erdoğan said a process emerging from within the region could help advance efforts to reduce tensions.

Following his General Assembly address, he held a series of diplomatic meetings in New York and attended a summit bringing together U.S. President Donald Trump and leaders from Gulf countries.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Erdoğan said Türkiye was working to address tensions in the Gulf and hoped the diplomatic efforts would produce results soon.

"We attended this meeting, and hopefully we will reap the results of these efforts as soon as possible,” he stressed. "Through our efforts, we are trying to overcome the problems in the Gulf.”

Erdoğan later continued his meetings at the Turkish House, Türkiye’s diplomatic complex across from U.N. headquarters.

He met U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, with discussions focusing on regional and global developments.

Erdoğan said Türkiye and Guterres had worked closely on issues affecting international peace and security as the U.N. chief approached the end of his term.

Call for UN reform

Erdoğan also renewed his long-standing call for reform of the U.N. Security Council, arguing that the current structure does not adequately represent the broader international community.

"A structure in which the will of more than 190 countries depends on the discretion of five countries is neither fair nor capable of fully establishing trust,” he emphasized.

Erdoğan said the Security Council should be reformed in line with his frequently used phrase, "the world is bigger than five,” a reference to the five permanent members of the council, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

On the other hand, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres also renewed calls for reform of the Security Council, saying its structure no longer reflects the realities of the 21st century and pointing in particular to Africa’s lack of permanent representation.

Guterres said the Security Council, designed in the aftermath of World War II, had failed to keep pace with changes in the international system.

"A 21st century Security Council without permanent African seats is unjust and indefensible,” Guterres underlined, adding that the situation "must change.”

Guterres, who took office as U.N. secretary-general in 2017, used his address to highlight conflicts and crises around the world, including Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, while calling for greater adherence to international law and reforms to make global institutions more representative.

Meetings with Qatar, Britain, Japan

Erdoğan also met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with the two leaders discussing bilateral ties as well as regional and global developments.

The president said Türkiye and Qatar aimed to deepen cooperation in areas including investment, trade, energy and the defense industry.

He also highlighted the importance of energy and transportation corridors amid regional developments affecting energy supplies and called for greater international pressure to halt Israeli military actions in the region.

In a separate meeting with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Erdoğan discussed Türkiye-U.K. relations as well as Gaza, Iran, Ukraine, the Strait of Hormuz and Cyprus.

Erdoğan said bilateral relations were strengthening and that further steps in trade and the defense industry could deepen cooperation between the two countries.

Erdoğan later met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, discussing opportunities to expand bilateral trade and cooperation in energy, infrastructure and the defense industry.

He also stressed the importance of reconstruction efforts in Syria, Gaza and Ukraine, which have been heavily affected by conflict.

Erdoğan invited Takaichi to attend the COP31 leaders' summit scheduled to be held in Türkiye.

Further bilateral talks

Erdoğan’s diplomatic schedule also included meetings with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

During talks with Nawrocki, Erdoğan called for measures to increase Türkiye-Poland trade and deepen cooperation, particularly in the defense industry.

He reiterated Türkiye’s efforts to help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war and emphasized the importance of maritime security in the Black Sea. Erdoğan also called for continued international backing for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In his meeting with Rahman, Erdoğan called for Türkiye-Bangladesh relations to be placed on a more institutional footing, including greater cooperation in the defense industry and steps to expand bilateral trade.

He also praised Bangladesh for hosting more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims and said Türkiye would continue humanitarian assistance in areas including shelter, education and infrastructure.

The series of meetings followed Erdoğan’s General Assembly address, in which the Turkish president sought to link Türkiye’s positions on conflicts with his broader call for reform of international institutions and a more representative global order.