Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan Wednesday called on the international community to act, warning worse days were awaiting the world if the Palestine-Israel conflict continued. Fidan at a joint news conference with his Qatari counterpart in Doha, said that a land offensive by Israel targeting Gaza would only upgrade Israel's current “savagery” to an all-out massacre.
He said Türkiye would not allow the people of Gaza to be “thrown away” from their lands by Israel’s actions and highlighted that the only solution to the conflict was establishing an independent Palestinian state.
Fidan and his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, accused the international community of “double standards” in reacting to the escalating conflict. Al-Thani said the two governments – both Western allies – “reaffirm our complete rejection of responding to the crisis with double standards regarding human life.” “It is not permissible to condemn the killing of civilians in one context and justify it in another,” said Al-Thani, who also serves as Qatar’s prime minister.
For his part, Fidan said: “The failure of some American and northern European countries to condemn and prevent the destruction and disaster in Gaza constitutes a very serious double standard and plays a destabilizing role. The operation in Gaza should be stopped as soon as possible. Humanitarian corridors should be opened,” he added.
The Qatari minister said the only way to restore peace in and around Gaza was to keep channels of communication open. He said Doha and Ankara would continue to coordinate with each other and regional partners to de-escalate the conflict.
Israel launching a ground operation into the Gaza Strip could escalate the situation from brutality into a “massacre,” Fidan warned.
He said that the targeting of Palestinians, regardless of whether they are children, the sick, or the elderly, and even in schools, hospitals and mosques, is a crime against humanity. As deaths mount in Gaza, the backlash in the region will naturally grow, said Fidan, adding: “It is impossible to predict consequences in advance.”
Fidan arrived in Qatar on Tuesday to hold bilateral talks. Both countries enjoy favorable relations and support Palestine in the face of Israeli aggression. Türkiye has been trying to facilitate diplomatic channels to push for a cease-fire amid incessant Israeli airstrikes, which killed over 5,700 people and destroyed hospitals, homes, schools, marketplaces, churches, mosques, refugee camps and more.
Qatar has open communication channels with Hamas and has hosted the Palestinian political office since 2012. The country has been playing a role in the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Hamas’ bureau in Doha communicated “effectively” with members in Gaza, and they expressed their will to release hostages regardless of their nationalities.
On Tuesday, Qatar’s emir criticized Israel’s backers, saying they had given it a “free license to kill” in its war with Hamas. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani also questioned what the conflict in the territory would achieve and urged an international stand against escalation in Gaza.
Fidan said Türkiye rejected attacks amounting to collective punishment of Gaza and would never consent Palestinians to be thrown away from their homeland, referring to the risk of mass forced displacement. “This will not only be a form of oppression for Palestinians, but it will also be a development that may destabilize Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon,” he said.
“A land operation by Israel in Gaza will turn the current savagery into a total massacre. It is urgent to stop war and attacks against civilians in Gaza. A cease-fire should be declared immediately and a humanitarian aid corridor should be opened,” he said.
“Our region is at a turning point. From this point onwards, we will either head to a greater war or peace,” he said, reiterating his earlier remarks about the conflict. “This is an opinion shared by my counterparts. We call for common sense to prevail, but some people fuel the fire. Those encouraging Israel to commit crimes under the guise of solidarity with Israel are accomplices in those crimes,” he said.
