Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has once again criticized the U.S. proposal to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. He stated that, by the grace of the Creator, the Gaza Strip will forever belong to the Palestinians.
On Thursday (February 13), while attending a business forum during his two-day visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, Erdoğan made this remark, according to Daily Sabah.
The Turkish president said, “Our Palestinian brothers and sisters will remain in the Gaza Strip forever, by the will of the Creator.” He further added that on January 19, they received good news from Gaza—a temporary ceasefire after 15 months of Israeli genocide in Palestinian territory.
Erdoğan also stated that, unfortunately, the ceasefire has now become ineffective because Israel has failed to uphold its commitments. “We see that Israel is once again trying to create bloodshed in the region,” he added.
In his speech, the Turkish president expressed hope that a humanitarian coalition, especially the Arab and Muslim world, would not abandon the Palestinians during this crisis. He called on the international community to support Palestinian rights.
Notably, since the beginning of the war in Gaza, Turkey has strongly condemned Israel’s brutal attacks. Additionally, it has criticized Western allies supporting Israel. Standing with the Palestinians, Turkey has called for Israel to be tried for genocide at the International Court of Justice.
In May 2024, in protest against the Gaza war, Turkey suspended trade relations with Israel and formally joined South Africa’s initiative to start legal proceedings against Israel for genocide at the International Court of Justice.
Earlier last week, U.S. President Donald Trump shocked the world by announcing the “occupation” of the Gaza Strip. In a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he proposed turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
This proposal was met with strong reactions, particularly from Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, who stated that Palestinians should be allowed to rebuild their homeland in the Gaza Strip.
Currently, the future of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is a topic of intense international debate. Emphasizing Gaza as the rightful land of the Palestinians and a divine blessing, Turkish President Erdoğan firmly declared that the Palestinians will retain their homeland forever.