Palestine needs concrete steps, not empty rhetoric: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged the international community to take concrete steps against Israel's "cruelty and barbarism" in Palestine's Gaza, instead of delaying progress with empty rhetoric.

The Turkish president also lauded UN chief Antonio Guterres regarding his stance on Israel's atrocities. "He too saw and sees the truth. As the Secretary General of the United Nations, he stands by the right and the just," he said on Thursday as he returned from his trip to Uzbekistan for an Economic Cooperation Organization summit.

While criticising the West, especially the United States, for siding behind Israel since the conflict escalated on October 7, Erdogan reminded that 120 countries at the UN refused to stand with Israel and the US against the 45 that abstained and the 14 that supported.

Criticising the US policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Erdogan said people in many countries are protesting the, citing the October 28 "Great Palestine Rally" in Istanbul, which drew some 1.5 million people.

The West claims to be "striving for a better road map" while siding behind Israel

Supporting Israel's massacres in Gaza has made the US a target of criticism, he said.

"Türkiye shares our thoughts and solution formulas with everyone. We want this problem to be resolved once and for all," he stressed.

Erdogan said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a mistake near the beginning of the conflict by starting a visit to Israel by saying he came not only as a US official, but also as a Jew.

Stressing that the majority of countries took a stance against Israel's atrocities, Erdogan said: "These brave countries send a message to the whole world. 'O America, no matter how great you are, you are not right, Israel is not right.'"

Erdogan also criticised the West for claiming to be "striving for a better road map" while siding behind Israel, saying: "What better road map than UN resolutions? If you are sincere about the ceasefire, put pressure on Israel to implement the UN's decisions."

"People are dying, mothers are losing their babies, children are losing their parents. We are trying to do something to stop this bleeding wound. If the US starts to share this feeling, it will become even easier to stop Israel," he added.

Roots of killing Palestinians date back to late 1940s

The Turkish president stressed that Israel did not recently start killing Palestinians, but that the roots of his attacks date back to 1947, a year before the state of Israel was declared.

"If Israel continues this oppression, barbarism, it means that all world leaders need to think about something. We have boldly shown our stance from the beginning, and we continue to do so," Erdogan stressed.

"If I shouted to the whole world in the UN General Assembly, comparing the map of 1947 to today's map, there’s a reason for that. I’m making a point. These massacres started in 1947."

Highlighting that all Western countries, especially the US, have been behind Israel's attacks from the beginning, Erdogan added: "If UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a commendable statement, and he did, there are some reasons for it. He saw the right and the truth … he stands by justice."

Türkiye willing to take any risk, help resolve hostage crisis

Erdogan said if Türkiye intervenes to solve the hostage crisis, Israel should swiftly release Palestinians, and on the other hand, Hamas should release Israelis as well. Hamas has expressed a willingness to release civilians, Erdogan said.

There are also high-ranking officers among hostages held by Hamas, said Erdogan, adding that Israel arrested minors and made them prisoners.

"If positive steps are taken, we are willing to take any risk and contribute to the resolution of this issue. In the last month, Israel has arrested nearly 2,000 people in the West Bank."

"Before that, there are around 10,000 people thrown into prisons, including women and children. Hamas primarily demands the release of Palestinians arrested by Israel in the West Bank and Gaza, especially women and children."

OIC preparations

On Türkiye’s priorities at this weekend’s extraordinary Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit, Erdogan said the summit ’s main theme will be the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

"We will gather to discuss the topic in detail and negotiate to ensure an immediate humanitarian cease-fire. We will focus on the questions: What can each country participating here do? What can the Gulf countries do?" he told journalists on his return flight.

"Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, we will discuss in detail what each of us can do."

Decisions coming from the summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh will be steps to stop Israel’s atrocities, he said.

"If you are sincere about a ceasefire, put pressure on Israel to implement UN resolutions," Erdogan urged Western countries.

The aim is to push Israel to allow the passage of wounded and sick people in besieged Gaza through a humanitarian corridor where medical service can be provided, he added.

"Human rights and international law demand an immediate cessation of this dirty war," he said.

He said Israel should not place itself outside international law, adding that everybody should oppose such recklessness.

Without resolving the Israel issue, there can be no talk of peace in the region or world, and no comprehensive international legal order can be fully realised, Erdogan added.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on October 7.

At least 10,569 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,324 children and 2,823 women. The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is nearly 1,600, according to official figures.