Away from the football field, Makram Daboub, the head coach of the Palestinian national football team, grapples with challenges exacerbated by the Israel-Hamas conflict, now in its second month.

This conflict casts a shadow over the team’s training plans for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Daboub had hoped to include key players, Ibrahim Abuimeir, Khaled Al-Nabris and Ahmed Al-Kayed, in a crucial training camp in Jordan ahead of the World Cup qualifying clashes against Lebanon and Australia.

Unfortunately, the conflict has left them stranded in Gaza, unable to join the team.

Daboub finds solace in the safety of his players still in Gaza, even though many of their relatives have lost their lives due to the ongoing Israeli bombings.

“So far, they are fine,” Daboub said. “Many of their relatives have died, however, as a result of the bombing.”

The psychological toll on the players is undeniable. With families in danger and the weight of the conflict on their minds, the coach acknowledges the immense challenge of maintaining focus on football.

“With the death and destruction in Gaza, the players are in a difficult psychological state,” Daboub said.

Yet, amid the chaos, there is a resounding determination from both players and the Palestinian people to see the games through.

Susan Shalabi, the vice-president of the Palestine Football Association, emphasized the significance of the national team in representing the aspirations of a people seeking recognition and normalcy.

“This is a people that wants to be heard and seen by the rest of the world; they want to live normally like everyone else, so people care about their national team,” Shalabi passionately expressed to The Associated Press (AP). “It represents the yearning to be recognized as a free and sovereign nation.”

The Palestine Football Association, a full member of FIFA since 1998, dreams of a World Cup appearance in 2026, an achievement that would mark a historic milestone for a team that has yet to reach the finals through the Asian Football Confederation’s qualifying route.

Hope flickers with Asia’s increased automatic qualification allocation from four spots in 2022 to eight in 2026, with the tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The Palestinian team, boasting the highest FIFA ranking of 73 in 2018, has previously appeared in the Asian Cup and secured a spot in the 2023 continental tournament in Qatar.

Daboub, pragmatic yet optimistic, recognizes the unpredictability of football but believes in the team’s potential to advance in the World Cup qualifiers.

“To be among the 18 teams that advance into that next stage of Asian qualifying, the Palestinians need to finish in the top two of a group containing Australia, Lebanon and Bangladesh,” Daboub explained.

Despite their current FIFA ranking of 96, the team remains hopeful, sitting eight places above Lebanon and a substantial 87 places above Bangladesh.

The journey is not without its disruptions.

Originally slated to host Australia, security concerns have moved the game to a neutral venue in Kuwait.

Preparations were further hampered when players could not participate in a Malaysian tournament last month.

Now, the team is stationed in Jordan to ensure smooth travel for upcoming games.

A pivotal match against Lebanon in the United Arab Emirates awaits, moved from Beirut due to security considerations. Daboub sees it as a significant step toward the next stage, expressing determination: “We will do our best. Football is the most popular game in the world. It brings people together. We aspire to achieve good results and qualify to show the Palestinian identity and that this is a people who deserve life and love peace.”

Source: Daily Sabah

The post Palestine’s Team Braces for World Cup Qualifiers Amid Gaza Crisis appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

A disinformation bulletin exposed Israeli propaganda regarding the war in Gaza, including false reports of Hamas headquarters and shooting of fleeing Palestinian civilians

The Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications has debunked a series of social media claims about the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict in Gaza.

In its weekly bulletin against disinformation released Monday, the directorate refuted the claim made by Israel that a “Hamas headquarters is located beneath Al-Shifa Hospital” as propaganda designed to manipulate international public opinion.

“Truth is Israel has expanded its attacks beyond civilian settlements in Gaza to include hospitals, which are operating under extreme conditions to treat the wounded,” the directorate said.

Referring to a post by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Oct. 27 showing the so-called Hamas headquarters under the hospital, the directorate said the video was digitally produced and that Israel hasn’t presented any substantiating arguments to Netanyahu’s claim.

According to Dr. Mads Gilbet, a Norwegian doctor with 16 years of experience at Al-Shifa Hospital, the claims that “a headquarters is located beneath the hospital” are entirely baseless, the bulletin read.

“The Israeli military claimed this numerous times and on Nov. 14 conducted an operation against Al-Shifa Hospital,” it added.

“In the past month, no evidence has been presented regarding Israel’s, particularly Netanyahu’s, claim. It has been determined that some of the images shared to back the claim include elevator shafts and other septic tanks.”

The bulletin also refuted the Israeli army’s claim that it discovered a “Hamas list” taped onto a wall in the basement of Al-Shifa, saying, the papers in the images were in fact calendars.

The Israeli army released additional footage of a bunker-like area on Nov. 22, claiming it as the alleged Hamas headquarters. The images fail to match the depictions of “multi-story buildings” Netanyahu’s earlier post made, the bulletin said.

“The images clearly demonstrate that there is no command center or an ammunition depot there, as Israel has insisted for weeks,” it noted.

An Israeli soldier recently claimed the exit of the tunnels was “sealed because (Hamas) anticipated our arrival a month ago.”

Until very recently, however, Israel justified its bombing of the hospital by maintaining that a functioning command center was underneath Al-Shifa Hospital. The Israeli press has alleged in countless articles in the last couple of years that a bunker was built under Al-Shifa in 1983 when Gaza was still under Israeli control.

However, the lack of evidence to support Israel’s claims has been acknowledged by numerous international news organizations, including CNN and BBC.

‘Ambushed’ reporter

The bulletin further rebutted a Fox News claim that one of its reporters was “caught in an attempted ambush while visiting the scene of the music festival massacre.”

“This is fiction because the entire thing was staged by the Israeli army,” the directorate said, pointing to the very footage presented on Fox News.

In the said footage, following sounds of gunshots, a “Hamas member” who allegedly set up an ambush in the festival area is detained, stripped and blindfolded. The rest of the uncut video, however, reveals that it’s an Israeli soldier dressing up as a Hamas soldier in the background.

The so-called ambush moment was disseminated by numerous international media outlets.

Shooting civilians

The directorate also dispersed popular footage shared by Israeli propaganda accounts to claim that “Hamas opened fire on Gazan civilians trying to flee south.”

The video in question was recorded by Motaz Azaiza, a content producer for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and posted on Nov. 19 with the caption, “How it looks from the safe passing that Israel claims about. They opened fire at people,” the bulletin explained.

Azaiza himself responded to the accounts misrepresenting his video, saying, “I was the one who recorded this, and the Israeli occupation forces were shooting at people to scare them and make them flee faster.”

The directorate further refuted similar claims that Hamas “killed 160 Palestinian children during the construction of the tunnels in Gaza.”

“The news article cited as the basis for the allegations was published in 2014 on the website of Tablet magazine,” the directorate informed.

In 2014, 2,310 people lost their lives in Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

“The Israeli propaganda magazine Tablet also tried to manipulate the global public opinion reacting to the civilian deaths in Gaza with the news ‘Hamas is killing children,’” the bulletin said.

In 2014, as it does today, Israel made many baseless claims to justify the massacre of civilians, it added.

Journalists killed

Regarding a video shared by Israeli propaganda accounts on social media of “two Palestinian journalists killed by Israel,” the directorate said the people in question were Syrian journalists Jamil al-Hasan and Muhammaed al-Faisal working in northern Syria.

The video of rockets firing, which sparked outrage worldwide, is shared by Israeli accounts to justify the killing of journalists but it has no connection with Gaza, the directorate stressed.

“The Palestinian journalists killed in Israel’s bomb attack on the Bureij Refugee Camp in the center of the Gaza Strip on November 18 are Sari Mansour and Hassouna Salim,” it said.

Over 60 journalists have lost their lives in Israeli attacks in Gaza since Oct. 7.

The directorate also dismissed the claim in a video circulated on X that a Palestinian boy living in Canada made a “chilling threat to Jewish people” during a rally.

“After examining the images in question, it has been determined that the slogans shouted during the pro-Palestinian protests were neither anti-Semitic nor threatening the Jews, the directorate said. “The child in the image was shouting, ‘Long live the Resistance! There is only one solution. Intifada (uprising – resistance), revolution!’”

Source: Daily Sabah

The post Türkiye Combats Disinformation in Palestine-Israel Conflict appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

Students from two Turkish universities adopted a novel method to convey their outrage over Israel’s ongoing military attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip, creating a video featuring messages in multiple languages and sharing it on social media platforms.

Students from Galatasaray University and the Turkish-German University in Istanbul expressed their feelings about Israel’s attacks in Gaza in a video they created in Turkish, French and German.

The students shared the video via their educational institutions’ social media accounts.

In the video, students described the Israeli attacks on Gaza in messages such as “Don’t stop talking about Palestine,” “The ones dying are not just people but humanity,” “Humanity is being ignored, bombed and killed,” “In the 21st century, Gaza is being besieged in front of the world’s eyes,” “People are left without food, water, medicine and electricity,” as well as “Israel, the baby killer, uses white phosphorus bombs considered a war crime.”

Earlier, students from Galatasaray University’s Civilization Club organized an exhibition depicting Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

The exhibition, which included photos, maps, cartoons and explanations about Gaza, was held at the Soma Tunnel on campus and featured 46 visuals.

Speaking about the exhibition, Esma Yılmaz, a student in the International Relations department, said their club aimed to express their solidarity with the oppressed people in Palestine.

“The primary goal of our exhibition, consisting of 46 visuals, is to emphasize that the Israel-Palestine issue is not a recent development, but rather, Israel’s occupation policy, unjust detentions and incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque have been ongoing for years, and this process did not start on Oct. 7,” said Yılmaz.

Anger and support

Türkiye consistently denounces Israel’s relentless attacks on Palestine and expresses unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people, with the Turkish public actively demonstrating their support. Recently, the Turkish nongovernmental organization (NGO) Humanitarian Relief Fund (IHH) organized a convoy to demonstrate their support for Palestine amid Israel’s persistent attacks on the Gaza Strip, heading to the U.S. base in the country’s southeast.

The “Freedom Convoy for Palestine,” consisting of 250 vehicles adorned with Turkish and Palestinian flags, departed Friday from Istanbul to Incirlik Air Base in Adana. On Sunday, the convoy protested Israel’s attacks on Palestine in front of Incirlik Air Base in the southeastern city of Adana, where a number of U.S. forces are stationed.

Numerous NGOs and individuals across Türkiye assembled under the leadership of the IHH gathered in front of the air base. Participants chanted slogans against Israel and expressed their outrage over the attacks on Gaza. The police stepped in when some protesters broke the barricades, trying to enter the air base.

Israel has repeatedly urged Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza to head south as fighting intensified, spurring fears of mass displacement.

The Israeli army this week expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a surprise offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 10,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed in Israeli attacks since then, while the Israeli death toll has topped 1,500, according to official figures.

Source: Daily Sabah

The post Turkish Students Decry Israel’s Gaza Attacks in Multilingual Video appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

Türkiye’s religious authority Diyanet actively promotes global mobilization through awareness-raising meetings to address Israeli aggression in Gaza

Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has consistently demonstrated a steadfast commitment to humanitarian causes, particularly in the face of dire circumstances such as the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

With a history of advocating for justice and compassion, Diyanet has taken a proactive role in addressing the plight of the Palestinian people and has emerged as a key voice, not only within the Islamic world but on a global stage.

Only in November, the key religious authority organized several meetings to raise awareness and mobilize the Turkish and global society.

On Nov. 7, Diyanet organized an event, where the role of digital media and the internet are highlighted to address the crises humanity faces. In the gathering, professor Ali Erbaş, the head of Diyanet, said: “As in every field, it is our most fundamental responsibility to work to guide our nation in digital media.”

“We must utilize the full potential of technology. Those who have a vision for the future of humanity, life, and the world cannot ignore the current realities. Therefore, our primary duty is to guide our nation in digital media and all other aspects,” Erbaş said.

On Nov. 6, Erbaş hosted Nawaf Tekruri, the head of the Union of Palestinian Scholars, and his delegation at the Diyanet headquarters in Ankara, where religious scholars discussed the Gaza crisis and sought solutions for it.

In the meeting, Erbaş reaffirmed Türkiye’s unwavering support for Palestinian brothers and sisters, underscoring the country’s commitment to stand by their side. Tekruri expressed happiness with the reception and thanked Erbaş and Diyanet for consistently supporting the Palestinian cause.

On Nov. 5, within the scope of the “We Stand to Pray for Gaza” organized by Diyanet, prayers were offered for the Palestinian victims after the Isha prayers in all mosques across the country.

On Nov. 3, representatives from non-Muslim religious communities and foundations, who united with the Palestinian cause upon the call of Erbaş, urged a cease-fire to halt the bloodshed in Gaza.

Speaking at the event, Erbaş said: “Palestine, once a land of peace and tranquility, has unfortunately become a place of suffering and despair in the past century. Presently, Gaza is enduring inhumane and devastating attacks.”

“Today, Gaza is a test of law, morality and conscience for all humanity. We need to find a solution to the cries of people groaning under oppression and make our voices heard. This is a human duty,” he said.

In a gathering on the first day of November, Diyanet also called for a mass boycott against Israel. “It is important to boycott products of companies that support Zionism and fight against oppression and oppressors in every possible way,” Diyanet said.

‘Emergency Gaza Meeting’

Just before the start of November, Diyanet organized a mass gathering on the last day of October, and brought together over 200 people from 94 countries, including religious heads, ministers and scholars, in an online call as part of the “Emergency Gaza Meeting” to discuss ways to stop Israel’s oppression.

Following the key video call meeting, a final communique was announced.

In the statement, Erbaş condemned Israel’s attacks on Gaza, stating that, “They have no humanitarian, moral or legal basis.” He expressed concern for the innocent people, including women, children and older adults, who are being brutally slaughtered in front of the world.

Currently, tens of thousands of civilians are being displaced from their homes, deprived of basic necessities and subjected to bombings in the region.

Erbaş accused the Israeli regime of committing genocide in Gaza for its Zionist ambitions and called for action to stop the violence.

Credibility lost

Erbaş criticized the Western states for remaining silent in the face of Israel’s attacks and genocide, questioning the credibility of ideologies and policies that claim to bring peace and prosperity to humanity.

He also expressed deep sadness and concern for the brutal attacks on Muslims and holy places of Islam, particularly Al-Aqsa Mosque, which was the scene of a great tragedy.

“The only way to achieve peace and tranquility in the region is for the occupiers to withdraw from Palestinian lands and for the Palestinian people to achieve complete freedom,” he said.

“The Islamic world has a responsibility to support the oppressed Palestinian people and their struggle for freedom. Cooperation is necessary to achieve common goals and ideals and to ensure peace and tranquility in the world.”

The final communique included key articles, one of which said: “The endless ambitions, inhumane policies and cruelties of murderous Israel, backed by the imperialists, are dragging the world into a total catastrophe. Israel must immediately cease its attacks on Gaza and the Palestinians. The eviction of Palestinians from their homes and homelands, the occupation of their lands, is never acceptable.”

The piece followed with the second article, saying: “The struggle of the people of Gaza against Israel’s invasion and occupation is a legitimate and honorable struggle in terms of religion, morality and international law. It is the responsibility of faith and servitude for every Muslim to support this noble struggle in all respects and to fight materially and spiritually to stop the genocide that is taking place.”

“Al-Quds belongs to Muslims; Palestine and Gaza are Muslim homelands and will remain so until the Judgment Day.”

The statement’s third article called for international organizations such as the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take immediate action. It said, “Peacekeepers should be sent to the region as soon as possible to protect the oppressed.”

“In this respect, it is an unavoidable necessity to urgently open a humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza to deliver basic living products, especially electricity, and water, to Gaza and to take the necessary measures to ensure the transfer of the wounded to hospitals in neighboring countries.”

The reports highlight the lack of basic needs of people stuck in the Gaza Strip.

The final communique highlighted the Gaza conflict as “not only a problem for Muslims but also a common problem for all humanity.”

“Sensible Jews do not approve of these genocides and massacres by the Zionist Israeli government. Raising their voices more will contribute significantly to stopping these attacks that disregard human dignity and try to destroy the law of coexistence,” the communique read.

“For this reason, it is important for people of faith and conscience to communicate with members of other religions to unite their power and prepare a joint action plan to stop this barbarism that is dragging humanity into disaster,” it added.

Source: Daily Sabah

The post Türkiye’s Diyanet Seeks Global Mobilization for Gaza Tragedy appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi Thursday on the sidelines of the 16th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent.

The Palestine-Israel conflict situation in Gaza dominated the talks, according to Turkish sources. Presidency’s Communications Directorate said in a statement that two leaders discussed the humanitarian crisis stemming from Israeli attacks on Gaza, steps to be taken for the solution, Turkish-Iranian relations and regional issues.

Erdoğan highlighted that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) extraordinary summit set to be held in Saudi Arabia over the weekend should focus on a fair solution, noting that an end to Israeli attacks would serve regional and global peace.

Erdoğan told Raisi that Türkiye was ready to contribute to the solution through guarantorship. He also stressed that the Islamic world should adopt a common stance to exert pressure on Israel for a solution to the conflict, according to the Directorate’s statement.

Iran on Thursday rejected a G-7 statement that called on Tehran to stop supporting Hamas and taking actions that “destabilize” the Middle East. Tehran’s comment came a day after foreign ministers from the G-7 group of advanced economies, meeting in Tokyo, expressed support for “humanitarian pauses and corridors” in the Palestine-Israel conflict.

The G-7 also called on Iran to “refrain from providing support for Hamas and taking further actions that destabilize the Middle East, including support for Lebanese Hezbollah and other non-state actors.”

On Thursday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani “strongly condemned” the statement by the group, which includes the United States, Britain, Germany, Canada, Italy, France and Japan. He said Iran has engaged in “non-stop efforts to stop military attacks of the Zionist aggressor regime (Israel) on the defenseless citizens” in Gaza.

“What was expected from the meeting of the Group of seven foreign ministers in Tokyo was to fulfill their international responsibility, including condemning the acts of the Zionist regime that violate human rights and international law in Gaza,”he added.

Source: Daily Sabah

The post President Erdoğan, Iran’s Raisi Discuss Gaza, Ties appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will pay a visit to Berlin on Nov. 16-17 to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as well as President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to discuss the latest developments regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The leaders will discuss “the entire range of political issues” during a meeting at the chancellery on Friday evening, a German government spokesperson said.

It would be Erdoğan’s first visit to Germany since 2020. Some 3 million people with Turkish roots live in Germany.

Erdoğan’s accusations against Israel have stoked fresh tensions with the European Union.

Indicating that Western countries, which constantly talk about human rights and freedoms and democracy, are watching Israel’s massacres from afar, Erdoğan on Tuesday said: “These countries and organizations are so helpless that they cannot even call for a cease-fire, let alone criticize child murderers. Seventy-three percent of the nearly 11,000 Gazans brutally killed by Israel are women and children.”

Scholz said on Friday that the German government will continue its diplomatic efforts to prevent the Gaza war from turning into a major regional conflict.

“Together with the U.S., our European allies and our partners in the region, we are doing everything we can diplomatically to prevent this from becoming a conflagration,” he said at a military conference in Berlin.

The German government says it bears historical responsibility for the security of Israel due to the country’s Nazi past and crimes committed against Jews.

Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is beginning her Middle East tour on Friday as part of Berlin’s diplomatic efforts to stop further escalation of the crisis.

The conflict escalated dramatically after Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by firing thousands of rockets and sending hundreds of its members into Israeli towns.

Israel responded by an uninterrupted campaign of air and artillery strikes on Gaza and recently expanded its ground operations to root out Hamas. Civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and refugee camps, were also targeted by the Israeli forces.

At least 10,812 Palestinians, including 4,412 children and 2,918 women, have been killed so far, according to health authorities.

Source: Daily Sabah

The post Erdoğan, Scholz to Meet in Berlin, Discuss Gaza Conflict Next Week appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

Upon returning from an Arab League-OIC summit, President Erdoğan said Türkiye remains a key actor in resolving regional crises, including the Palestine-Israel conflict, as he pushes for more diplomatic and concrete efforts and criticizes support for ‘baby killer’ Israel

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan joined heads of state at an emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organisaton for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The summit, focusing on the Palestine-Israel conflict, was a highlight in Türkiye’s tireless efforts for a permanent solution to the conflict and a push for an immediate cease-fire.

Speaking to journalists while returning home, Erdoğan stressed that his country was a key actor in resolving regional crises and criticized “baby killer” Israel.

“Palestine, which fights for its very existence in the face of decades of occupation and pressure, is going through an unspeakable oppression for 36 days. Innocent civilians in Gaza lose their lives through indiscriminating heavy bombardment and are forced to leave their lands. Israel, right before the eyes of the world, commits war crimes by targeting hospitals, schools and places of worship without discrimination. They target ambulances carrying patients and the deceased and refugee camps. Western countries also watch this savagery,” he lamented.

Erdoğan said people with a conscience cannot stand silent. “Since day one, I tried to be the voice of the Palestinian cause and make the world see the massacre in Gaza. I am engaged in phone diplomacy and visit other countries to that extent,” he said.

Erdoğan stated that Türkiye has been engaged in diplomacy and dialogue since the beginning of the new stage of the conflict on Oct. 7 to ensure a humanitarian cease-fire and delivered some 230 tons of humanitarian aid to Egypt for delivery to Gaza. He noted that a large Turkish vessel was also on its way to Egypt for more aid.

The Turkish president said the international community needs to take concrete action in the face of massacres. “But once again, we see the United Nations Security Council is dysfunctional,” he said while hailing 121 countries voting yes at the Oct. 27 session of the U.N. General Assembly for a cease-fire and unconditional humanitarian aid delivery.

“I find it valuable that the majority of the international community adopted this approach. To ensure it, the Islamic world should be one voice. I stressed it at Saturday’s summit. I highlighted that the OIC, whose original purpose of foundation was the Palestinian cause, has a great responsibility. I told the summit and my counterparts I met on the sidelines of the summit that any steps would not be lasting unless the Palestinian issue is fully resolved,” he said. He added that the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestine state with East Jerusalem as its capital was key to permanent peace in the region.

“I noted that everyone should make a contribution to ensure it,” he said.

Erdoğan voiced his appreciation for Egypt under the leadership of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi for keeping the Rafah border crossing with Gaza open. He said they confirmed plans to remain in touch.

“As Türkiye, we renewed our commitment to a solution and taking responsibility as a guarantor country,” he said.

“We will do what we can do to stop bloodshed, in coordination with our friends in the OIC,” he stated.

Settlers, nuclear threat

Erdoğan acknowledged that the OIC used to limit its action to condemning such crises in the past and states used to abstain from taking steps for various reasons. “But this time, we had a clear picture, and Türkiye’s proposals made it to the joint declaration of the summit. We now have a declaration containing a myriad of actions and things that have not been said before, such as the recognition of (Israeli illegal) settlers as terrorists, a declaration that generated a geostrategy. For the first time, we proposed a nuclear nonproliferation conference, given Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons,” he said.

The declaration “condemned the hateful, extremist and racist acts and statements made by ministers in the Israeli occupation government, including the threat by one of the ministers to use nuclear weapons against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, being a serious threat to global peace and security, which requires supporting the conference to establish a zone free of nuclear weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, held within the framework of the United Nations and its objectives to confront this threat.”

The issue of denuclearization is very significant in terms of revealing which actors are supporting Israel, Erdoğan told journalists. “Now, it is of great importance that both the OIC and the Arab League came together and took this step (resolution) because this is the first time in the history of the two organizations that such a meeting took place,” he added.

Last Sunday, Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, told Israeli media that dropping a “nuclear bomb” on the Gaza Strip was “an option.” Though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the statement and, according to media reports, suspended Eliyahu from Cabinet meetings until further notice, Eliyahu’s statement caused an international uproar because it was seen as admitting Tel Aviv possesses nuclear weapons and can use them against any country.

Erdoğan said progress was also made regarding the delivery of aid in the declaration’s final text. “For instance, there was a call for breaking the blockade of Gaza for delivery of aid. Some member states inquired whether all actions mentioned in the declaration would be fulfilled. We told them that we need words to be written first to be followed by action. This declaration will be a reference for any country looking to do something. More importantly, the West will see that our distance from them grows because of their stance on the Palestine issue. (French President Emmanuel) Macron, for instance, has started to change his rhetoric. He visited Israel and voiced his support to them but when he saw that the number of deaths increased and the size of the massacre grew, he started to develop a policy against it,” he said.

“This was not a summit where people convened, talked and went their separate ways. On the contrary, we have a list of actions that will be carried out,” Erdoğan said.

On a question about Türkiye’s road map for a solution to the conflict, Erdoğan said they were working on various aspects, such as convincing the 40 countries that abstained from a vote on an immediate cease-fire at the U.N. General Assembly to vote in favor. “We are planning to concentrate our diplomatic efforts on this matter. For example, Hungary is among the countries that abstained from the vote. We are wondering whether we can persuade them,” he said.

He added that he would be more engaged in phone diplomacy after the summit and would host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Nov. 28. “I believe we can convince countries that supported Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They cannot remain silent about the killings of thousands of people. In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, we did not discriminate against any side and even mediated grain deals to Africa and Europe. Now it is the turn of those countries supporting Ukraine to raise their voice (for Palestine),” he said.

Erdoğan noted that first lady Emine Erdoğan would also host a meeting of first ladies in Türkiye on Nov. 15 on the issue. He said he would visit Germany on Nov. 17 and convey “messages” to the West. “Germany is the most powerful country in Europe and our messages will definitely be heard,” he said.

Erdoğan said he would also visit Algeria and said Algeria was a country with influence in Africa and could pave the way for convincing more African countries to adopt a stance for the resolution of the Palestine-Israel conflict.

He also pointed out that the European Union has failed in the face of Israel’s massacres and lamented the absence of a clear stance against Israel from EU members. “I wonder where Germany stands and will have a chance to see it in my Germany visit,” he said.

“The EU views Hamas as a terrorist group just like Israel did. We don’t view Hamas as such and will never do so. Hamas is a political party. They (the EU) want us to recognize it as a terrorist group. No, they are not. They are people fighting for their lands,” he said.

“All heads of state, including leaders of Muslim countries, marched together in Paris after the Charlie Hebdo incident. But they don’t raise their voice now despite some 13,000 people being killed in Gaza. This is because those who died in Gaza are Muslims. Those killed in Paris were the French,” he said.

“For us, people dying are people, not people of this religion or that religion. Don’t you see children are dying? You see parents kissing their dead children. You see bodies of children lined on the ground before their burial. You see mothers embracing the bodies of their children. These should move your conscience,” he said.

Erdoğan reiterated that everyone knows Türkiye is a key country in the Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean and in the wider region. “Making plans despite Türkiye’s objections in this region is impossible. Everybody knows our clear stand, our principles and our values. We work to protect people’s lives, to ensure peace, end conflicts and wipe the tears of the innocent. We have solutions for every conflict and we offer them to anyone willing to listen. Our door is open to anyone valuing our stand. We always talk to anyone contacting us for a sincere solution, and we will continue working to save the dignity of humankind. Türkiye is the only country offering the most applicable solutions,” he said, noting that Türkiye was the only nation with contacts in every country in the region and could bring warring sides to the table in conflicts.

“We have to hold talks with the Gulf countries, with Egypt to exert pressure on the United States so that it can exert pressure on Israel,” he said, noting Gulf countries’ relations with the West can help press Israel to stop the bloodshed.

On comments on whether this will be a “religious” war, a war of the “crescent and cross,” Erdoğan assured that would not be the case. “Because this is a war of good and evil, lies and truth, oppressor and the oppressed,” he said.

“I believe, in the end, the good, people siding with the truth, the oppressed and their defenders, in other words, Palestinians, will win,” he said.

Referring to his confrontation with then-Israeli President Shimon Peres at a Davos summit years ago over Israel’s atrocities toward Palestinians, Erdoğan said that he was continuing to take steps to raise the voice of ignored Palestinians.

Erdoğan famously accused Israel of killing children during a panel where he was sitting next to Peres. “With its latest Gaza attacks, Israel lost international public support. Though their administrations embrace Israel for their imperialist interests, people of most countries view Israel as a country murdering babies,” he said.

Source: Daily Sabah

The post Erdoğan Says Türkiye Key to Solve Palestine-Israel Conflict appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.