Answering journalists' questions during his return flight from Uzbekistan, where the 16th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organisation was held, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said regarding the Western world's attitude, "We need concrete steps, not lofty words and empty humanitarian displays."
In response to the question, recalling US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Ankara, "He only met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan. You were in your hometown, Rize, during this visit. There was much discussion regarding Blinken's reception and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan's approach to him. What kind of symbolic and diplomatic messages were given to the US during the meetings?" President Erdoğan said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs knows and implements the requirements of diplomacy and protocol rules very well.
Stating that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs approached his guest in a manner befitting the office it represents, President Erdoğan said, "There are protests taking place against the US all over the world; why? Because supporting Israel's massacre in Gaza has made the USA the target of criticism."
President Erdoğan went on to say:
"If 1.5 million people manage to come to Yenikapı, Istanbul, and gather there in only three days, it means something. It means, 'Listen to what we must say; let our voice resonate around the world.' US Secretary of State Blinken's biggest mistake was at the very beginning. If you say, 'I come before you not only as the US Secretary of State but also as a Jew,' when you go to Israel, there will be a response to this. What was the response to this? It was those 1.5 million people rapidly gathering in Yenikapı. It was the gathering of such communities in different parts of Türkiye. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the UK, France, and in front of the White House in the US. These gatherings are a signal flare. As Türkiye, we share with everyone what we think about this issue and our solution formulas. We want this issue resolved already.
We strive to ensure that our people-oriented approach is practised in the field by using all available diplomatic channels. Human rights and international law mandate that this dirty war be stopped as soon as possible. No one should position themselves outside international law, and everyone should take a stand against such recklessness. Unfortunately, Israel is the source of the recklessness I mentioned. Unless the Israeli issue is resolved, there can be no talk of peace or international legal order in their full meanings, neither in our region nor in the world."
Upon the question recalling the anti-Israel demonstrations all over the world, "Would Netanyahu be held responsible, and the massacres committed so far will be covered up at the end of the day?" President Erdoğan said, "I have to say this very clearly: It may not be appropriate for me to dwell on this issue, but Netanyahu is in a better place today than he will be in tomorrow. Currently, 60–70 per cent of the Israeli people oppose Netanyahu."
Touching upon the issue of hostages, President Erdoğan said that Hamas had no interest in holding civilians as hostages.
President Erdoğan continued:
"On the contrary, the release of Palestinians held captive by Israel is what must happen. Now, if we, as Türkiye, were to intervene here, what Israel needs to do is quickly release the Palestinians while Hamas releases the Israelis they hold. However, there are two things: civilians and soldiers. Hamas claims that it will release the civilians and is not set on keeping them captive. Of course, there are soldiers there. There are high-ranking soldiers among these soldiers, but Israel's immoral act of kidnapping 5-, 10-, 15-year-old children is also clear as day. If positive steps are taken, we will be willing to take any risk in order to contribute to the resolution of this problem. In the last month, Israel has arrested nearly 2,000 people in the West Bank. Prior to that, approximately 10 thousand people, including women and children, were imprisoned. Hamas demands the release of Palestinians detained in the West Bank and Gaza by Israel, primarily women and children."
Islamic Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
When asked what will be on Türkiye's agenda at the upcoming Islamic Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Riyadh, President Erdoğan replied, "We will say exactly what we are saying right now."
Emphasising that this war between Israel and Palestine will be the main topic of the summit, President Erdoğan said:
"We will be gathering there to discuss the situation in detail and to negotiate for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. What each of the participating nations can do will be our main topic of discussion. What can the Gulf countries do? What can countries other than the Gulf countries do? We will go over in detail what Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye and all of us can do. As we talk, many issues will be brought to the table."
President Erdoğan noted:
"This is why I attach great importance to the meeting in Riyadh. We can do a lot for a ceasefire and for lasting peace, and it is well known that Islamic countries are particularly sensitive to the Palestinian cause. The steps we take must be decisive, effective, and conducive to establishing peace. Steps that are not strategised and well-planned are detrimental to the Palestinian cause in the first place. As a result, we will express our reaction to the massacres and discuss which areas can be opened for peace. We will strive for unity in order to share all our ideas with our brothers and sisters. I think the decisions to be taken there will be critical for the continuation of the process. I believe that the decisions that will be taken at this summit, which will represent the Islamic world and the countries in the region, will serve as an important step in the effort to end Israel's oppression. We are the people of this region, and we cannot adopt rash and populist policies like those who come to this region from outside. Any suffering in this region is also felt by us. Any instability in this region has an effect on us. There is a solution in unity, and we will discuss it in Riyadh. Our priority and concern is peace."
"120 countries took a stand at the United Nations"
A journalist stated that President Erdoğan's decisive stance on Gaza changed the position of some leaders who had remained silent and asked, "At this point, will there be a positive development in the direction of extinguishing the fire, or will the fire spread?" In response, President Erdoğan stated, "If Israel continues to exhibit this cruelty and barbarism, it means that there is something for all leaders to consider. We have boldly asserted our stance from the start and will continue to do so."
Stating that Israel did not start massacring Palestinians today and that this dates back to 1947, President Erdoğan said, "There is a reason why I had spoken out to the whole world at the United Nations General Assembly, comparing the 1947 map and today's map. I am exhibiting certain facts by doing this. These massacres began in 1947. What was the size of the land where Palestinians were residing and living then, and what is the size today? What was Israel's situation in those lands, and what is it today? When we consider all these matters carefully, we see that there is almost an exchange between the maps of Israel and Palestine."
"How many countries are on the side of the US and Israel?"
Pointing out that the entire West, particularly the US, has been behind Israel's attacks since the beginning, President Erdoğan said:
"If Guterres has stood out admirably, which he did, there are certain reasons for this. He, too, has seen reality and what is fair. As Secretary-General of the United Nations, he stands with the right and the just. At this point, we need to pay attention to this issue. 'How many countries are on the side of the US and Israel?' There were 14 countries on the side of the US in the vote to establish a humanitarian ceasefire at the United Nations, but 120 countries stood steadfast against them. And 40 or 41 countries abstained. These brave countries send a message to the whole world. 'O America, no matter how big you are, you are not right; Israel is not right. It is the oppressed here who are right. Those who stand by these oppressed people are the countries that truly defend justice and truth,' they say. This is how those 120 countries have demonstrated a stance at the United Nations."
President Erdoğan said that the 40–41 nations that abstained were actually included among the 120 countries, adding:
"Hopefully, after the Riyadh Summit, my colleagues and I will focus on telephone diplomacy again. We will initiate an effort to further increase the number of those who defend rights and justice at the UN. Our hope here is not only to provide a corridor for the passage of humanitarian aid but also to increase the pressure on Israel to ensure the passage of the wounded Palestinian victims. Our goal is to ensure that all these people pass from Gaza to locations where we can provide medical aid. These include all kinds of injured and ill people, from cancer patients to lightly or severely wounded people. If this corridor is opened, we are ready to admit the wounded and our brothers and sisters with chronic diseases such as cancer to our hospitals. We have completed our preparations for this. And we received some favourable signals, such as regarding a permit for passage for the wounded and for chronically ill patients. If we can manage to transfer these people into our hospitals, we will fulfil our humanitarian and Islamic duty."
"We are not at all in despair"
When asked whether he had hope for a ceasefire in Gaza and for the process to move in the direction of lasting peace, President Erdoğan said, "We are not at all in despair. Of course, we have hope."
Stating that they continue their work because they have hope, President Erdoğan continued:
"It should not be forgotten that we are talking about Gaza, with a population of 2-2.5 million. Nearly 11 thousand children, women, and elderly Palestinians have now lost their lives there. In addition, there are 25–30 thousand injured people. Right now, all those huge buildings have been destroyed and reduced to rubble. I wonder what the situation is under these rubbles. The news we receive is disastrous. With all this, how will this debris be removed? Is it possible to remove them? Of course, intensive work will be needed for that as well. All these construction machines and so on, it will take time for them to work. We appear to be getting some encouraging signals from our diplomatic moves regarding them. I hope that these will be realised. That is why I attach great importance to the Riyadh Summit. We believe that the moral compass of societies always points to the truth. Our primary goal is to ensure a ceasefire. We are taking all necessary steps and using all necessary means to accomplish this. Stopping the deaths of people, embracing children who are trembling with fear and trying to alleviate their suffering to some extent will not be the end result for us but the beginning of the solution."
Emphasising that Türkiye is attempting to keep all international platforms active and working on the issue, President Erdoğan said, "We are using all means of diplomacy to ensure a ceasefire. We explain to our interlocutors the road map to an appropriate, fair, and permanent solution, and we attempt to mobilise international public opinion in support of its implementation. We are meticulously planning the steps to be taken following the ceasefire, and we are developing formulas to build a solid and sustainable peace."
"We need concrete steps, not lofty words and empty humanitarian displays"
President Erdoğan was informed that the US and Israel were not on the same page recently and that there was a schism between President Joe Biden of the US and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and was also asked, "Do you think that they have real differences or are they pretending? There is talk of a process that will result in Netanyahu's resignation. Would you agree with this? When talking about a two-state solution, does the US accept the 1967 borders? Despite all this, why did the US send a nuclear submarine to our region?" In response, President Erdoğan said, "It is impossible to believe them."
Recalling that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently visited Türkiye and met with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, President Erdoğan stated, "Our Minister of Foreign Affairs presented him with a number of our proposals throughout the meeting. What were they? For example, currently, 20-30 trucks go through the blockade every day. A proposal was made that this should be increased to at least 500 trucks. I was told by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan that Blinken was also positive about this. We hope that a degree of relief will be provided if these 500 trucks are permitted to enter. Because there is a serious need for food, medicine, and water in particular." Reminding that Israel shot a convoy of ambulances, President Erdoğan continued:
"In addition to all of this, the shortage of ambulances must also be addressed. We have taken our precautions, we are taking them. We will work hard to address the ambulance shortage. We will also take steps to work together with some countries in fields such as medicine, food, and so on. As to the issue of a policy change in the US, there is such an atmosphere. Such an atmosphere is observed not only there but throughout the West, England, France... We need concrete steps, not lofty words and empty humanitarian displays. They claim, 'We are striving for a better road map.' Is there a better road map than UN resolutions? Put pressure on Israel to implement UN resolutions if you are serious about a ceasefire. Because people are dying, mothers are losing their babies, and children are losing their parents. We are trying to do something to staunch this bleeding wound. If the US adopts this sentiment, it will be even easier to stop Israel."