Defending Palestine is defending humanity, justice, and peace — Erdogan

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has delivered a powerful condemnation of Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, calling the global silence over atrocities a “moral collapse” and reiterating Türkiye’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people.

"Defending the Palestinian cause is not just about standing with an oppressed people," Erdogan stated on Friday during a meeting of a group of parliaments in support of Palestine in Istanbul, Türkiye.

"It is about defending humanity, peace, and justice," he said.

Since October 7, 2023, over 51,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Erdogan described these attacks as “a frenzy of violence,” accusing the Israeli government of indiscriminately killing civilians — including children, women, the elderly, and even infants.

"Journalists are being killed while international media outlets stay silent. Children are being massacred while human rights defenders watch in silence," he said.

‘The West has played the three monkeys’

Erdogan criticised Western powers for what he called hypocritical inaction.

"Those who have long boasted of their commitment to freedom, rights, law, and press liberty have been playing the three monkeys for 18 months in the face of Israel’s massacre policy," he said.

He questioned the double standards of countries quick to impose sanctions elsewhere but silent in this crisis: "Western states, who draw the sanctions weapon even for minor incidents, I ask you — where are you now when it comes to Israel?"

‘A global order that ignores the oppressed will serve the oppressors’

“A global order that does not stand with the oppressed is doomed to become a plaything for tyrants,” Erdogan warned, pointing to the failure of international institutions to enforce accountability in Gaza.

He also voiced deep disappointment in the Muslim world: "It pains me to say this — and my heart bleeds — but the Islamic world has failed to fulfill its responsibilities."

‘Journalists executed, families wiped out’

As of April 2024, at least 212 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict, making it the deadliest period for journalists in modern history, according to the Turkish president.

“Just days ago,” Erdogan said, “a female journalist was martyred along with her 10 family members — executed for telling the truth.”

He lamented the state of international law: “It has ceased to serve justice. It has become a tool to reinforce the power of the strong.”

‘Starvation as a weapon, resistance branded as terror’

Israel has severely restricted humanitarian aid into Gaza, prompting warnings from the UN and humanitarian groups of a looming famine. Erdoğan accused Israel of weaponising hunger: “For those they cannot kill with bombs, they cut off food, water, and medicine. It is a systematic campaign of extermination.”

He condemned the labeling of Palestinian resistance as terrorism: "Those who were silent while Palestinians were being slaughtered are now branding Gaza’s resistance as terrorism — attempting to normalise genocide."

‘Middle East in flames, world in danger’

Erdoğan also condemned Israel’s expanding military operations targeting Syria and Lebanon, warning that such escalation threatens to engulf the region in broader conflict.
“The attacks on Syria and Lebanon reveal that Netanyahu’s government does not want peace or stability in the Middle East.”

"This madness, which threatens and unsettles the entire region, must stop immediately," he said. "Otherwise, this fire will soon consume those who are fanning the flames."

‘We will stand with Palestine, even alone’

Erdogan rejected any proposals aimed at displacing Palestinians from their historic homeland: "No matter how it is packaged, any offer to exile Palestinians from the lands they’ve lived on for thousands of years is meaningless to us."

Türkiye, he reaffirmed, will not back down: "We will do everything we can to help Palestinians live freely in their homeland. Even if we stand alone, we will continue to defend the Palestinian cause."