Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that standing with the Palestinian people is a collective responsibility of the international community, particularly the Muslim world, reaffirming Turkey’s commitment to defending Palestinian rights on all diplomatic platforms.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Wednesday, Erdogan said Turkey would continue to play a leading role in advocating for the rights of Palestinians in international forums, according to Anadolu Agency.
The Turkish leader accused the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of continuing what he described as illegal activities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. He said these actions are aimed at undermining the viability of an independent Palestinian state and cannot be ignored by the international community.
Citing United Nations data, Erdogan said that nearly 3,800 Palestinians have been displaced in 2026 as a result of settler violence, home demolitions and forced evictions in the occupied territories. He added that around 100 Palestinians have also been killed during the same period.
Describing the situation as a systematic occupation, Erdogan argued that the Israeli government is attempting to divert international attention away from the Palestinian issue by creating instability, but said such efforts would not succeed.
He reiterated Turkey’s support for a sovereign and territorially contiguous Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Erdogan also called for the reconstruction of Gaza, stressed the importance of preserving the historic status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy sites, and welcomed the decision to hold legislative and presidential elections in Palestine.
Source: Anadolu Agency.