Speaking to reporters on his flight back from an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Arab League summit in Doha, Erdoğan pledged to raise the issue of Israeli attacks, including the latest one in Qatar, at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly, while also calling for more cooperation in the Islamic world, particularly in security.
Erdoğan condemned Israel’s attack on the Palestinian group Hamas’ political office in Doha. “The fact that the negotiation team was the target of this treacherous attack is a clear defiance of the international system and law,” he said in remarks published on Tuesday.
"According to our faith, Israel cannot defile the sacred memory and divine messages of our prophets, including the Prophet Moses. The Islamic world must respond to this vile attack on our prophets with knowledge and wisdom. It is also vitally important that Islamic countries develop mechanisms for security, cooperation, intelligence sharing and crisis management among themselves. I especially call on everyone to heed our prophet’s message: ‘O servants of God, be brothers,’ and strengthen our bonds of brotherhood," he said.
The president was among leaders from OIC and Arab League member states who demonstrated solidarity with Qatar through the summit. Leaders at the summit warned that Israel's attacks on Qatar had dangerous consequences for the region and urged collective action to counter Israeli attempts to impose a new reality on the Middle East.
Türkiye has repeatedly warned that Israel was intent on expansionist policies and dragging the wider region into fire after the Netanyahu administration targeted Lebanon and Syria during the latest round of the Palestine-Israeli conflict. The attacks later expanded into Israel's archenemy, Iran. As a major supporter of the Palestinian cause, Türkiye, which champions the rights of thousands of civilians condemned to death by Israel in Gaza, is reportedly worried that Israel may target it next. Erdoğan voiced this concern in remarks last year, calling for "strengthening the home front" against Israeli expansionism.
The Turkish president was quoted on Tuesday saying that Israel continued its banditry in the region recklessly, noting attacks on Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran preceding the strike in Qatar. "This heinous attack is a blatant violation of an independent, pro-peace country's sovereignty. It once again demonstrated the point Israel's pro-occupation and terrorist mindset reached. The whole world now sees Israel as an open threat to international order. Türkiye strongly expresses its support to brotherly Qatar and the people of Palestine," Erdoğan stated.
He hailed the large number of leaders attending the summit, which "strongly displayed the Islamic world's common will against Israeli aggression and for solidarity with Qatar."
"Our declaration there underlined that Israel's attack is indeed an attack against all Muslim states," Erdoğan said. He also stressed the need to take all legitimate and efficient measures to stop Israel's inhumane actions against the Palestinian people. "We discussed additional measures like reviewing countries' diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel," he noted.
Erdoğan will join heads of state and government later this month at the United Nations General Assembly, where the issue of Israeli aggression will likely dominate the agenda. The president told journalists that he hoped "the humanity front will expand" during the upcoming session of the assembly. "It is vital to protect the Palestinian people, international law and humanity's dignity. Türkiye will be the standard-bearer for the Palestinian cause under any conditions. This is a historic responsibility for us. Our ultimate goal is maintaining peace, justice and humanity's honor," he stated.
The president noted that the true face of Israel is revealed the more intense "its oppression" becomes. "Even those turning a blind eye to years of systemic Israeli oppression in Palestine started voicing opposition to it. The recent New York Declaration at the U.N. General Assembly, which was approved 142 countries became a turning point in diplomatic balance on the matter of Palestine," Erdoğan stated. He was referring to adoption of the said declaration for formal recognition of State of Palestine. Türkiye has advocated that recognizing the state, "two-state solution" in other words, is key to achieve peace in the region and end Israel's aggression.
"Results of recent votes at the U.N. indicate Israel is being isolated and Türkiye's two-state solution proposal is now becoming the joint will of the global majority," Erdoğan said.
"Recognizing Palestine will further corner Israel," he stressed.
Erdoğan also lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he often likened to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. "Rulers of Israel are nothing but a network of murderers who evolved their radical views into a fascist ideology. In this context, Netanyahu is ideologically relative to Hitler. Just as Hitler failed to see his upcoming defeat as he was (priding in) his advances, Netanyahu will share the same fate," Erdoğan stated.
He emphasized that Israel harms not only Muslims and Christians but also Jews. “When you listen to the Jews who oppose Israel’s genocidal actions, you clearly see how dangerous an ideology Zionism is,” Erdoğan said. “If Zionist Israel is to be associated with anything, it should be terrorism and fascism.”
