Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has reiterated Ankara’s steadfast commitment to the Palestinian cause during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, as he reflected on Türkiye's diplomatic efforts in New York this week.
Reflecting on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s address to global leaders, Fidan noted that the Turkish President had once again placed the ongoing plight of the Palestinian people at the centre of international discourse.
“President Erdogan has once again drawn attention to the tragedy of Palestinians at the UN General Assembly,” he said while speaking at the Turkish House in New York on Saturday.
He emphasised that the Turkish delegation actively raised grave concerns over Israel’s occupation policies and the catastrophic humanitarian suffering currently unfolding in Gaza.
Israeli aggression
According to Fidan, President Erdogan outlined a clear vision for sustainable regional peace while warning of the severe threats posed by unchecked Israeli aggression, insisting that Israel must ultimately be held accountable for the oppression and massacres it has committed.
He asserted that the Gaza peace process remains fundamentally crippled by Israel’s deliberate refusal to abide by established international norms.
He stressed that lasting stability cannot be achieved so long as rule-breaking and unilateral actions go unpunished.
Mecca agreement
Fidan also said he met with his counterparts from the signatory states of the Mecca Defence Agreement on the sidelines of the UN summit.
Touching upon collective security and regional deterrence, the top diplomat declared that Türkiye’s armed forces maintain full operational capability to respond decisively to any nature of threat across the region.
He also revealed that Pakistan has put forward a candidate who is expected to assume the role of secretary-general for the defence alliance.
Iraq
The Turkish top diplomat said that President Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi agreed to deepen security cooperation between Ankara and Baghdad during a meeting in New York.
Fidan said Iraq’s Sinjar region has been cleared of armed groups, including the PKK terrorist group, and that further significant developments are likely in the future.
