Türkiye championed Palestinian cause at UN

The situation in Palestine amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza dominated Türkiye’s agenda at the United Nations General Assembly. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who assessed the event on Saturday, noted that they led and supported all meetings on Palestine in New York.

Ankara defended the Palestinian cause in the strongest possible terms, Fidan told reporters at Turkish House (Türkevi) in New York.

The Palestinian issue and the situation in Gaza were “the most important agenda item of this general assembly week,” he said.

Stressing that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the intellectual initiator of the Gaza Strip meeting, which brought together the leaders of eight Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, along with U.S. President Donald Trump, Fidan said: “In this meeting, as a group of countries with a Muslim population of nearly 800 million, we clearly conveyed to President Trump our expectations regarding Gaza.

“We stated that a cease-fire in Gaza must be achieved immediately and that it is essential to deliver humanitarian aid to the region.”

“We collectively emphasized that Israel’s annexation of the West Bank is completely unacceptable and that we oppose any attempt to force the people of Gaza to flee their homeland,” he said.

Expressing hope that a positive momentum would be generated on the issues they raised, the Turkish foreign minister said there are initial signs of it happening.

Fidan called the declaration by some Western countries of their recognition of the State of Palestine during and immediately before the General Assembly a “highly significant development.”

“This outcome is also a concrete outcome of our work as the OIC-Arab League Joint Contact Group. We will always continue to defend the just cause of the Palestinians on every platform,” he emphasized.

Stressing the importance of the Gaza meeting, Fidan highlighted: “Next week, the Israeli prime minister will also visit Washington. It is important for us that America plays a central role in all of this and wields its influence over Israel.

“To bring the U.S. to this point, the diplomatic procedure, strategy and relationship steps needed to be carefully calculated and implemented, one by one.”

Emphasizing that current priorities are achieving a cease-fire in Gaza, stopping the civilian massacre and ensuring the arrival of humanitarian aid as soon as possible,” the Turkish foreign minister said work is underway on a paper that prioritizes a cease-fire agreement and addresses other issues in parallel.

“We have made our contributions as relevant countries. Negotiations are ongoing.

“We will continue to do everything in our power, using all our creativity and strength, on this path,” he stated.

Noting that a “record number of countries” have now recognized the State of Palestine, Fidan underscored that Türkiye aims to stop the “historical oppression” against the Palestinian people.

When asked how broader recognition of the State of Palestine could help stop the genocide in Gaza, Fidan said lessons from past wars showed the focus should not only be on securing a cease-fire but also on dismantling the conditions that make wars and massacres possible.

Fidan said this meant creating a two-state solution where both Israelis and Palestinians could live in security, peace and stability.

While cease-fire negotiations are ongoing, Fidan said Türkiye and a group of countries are pushing forward the agenda for a two-state solution and the recognition of Palestine.

“We have reached a point where a record number of countries have recognized Palestine,” Fidan said. “And it is not just the number of countries that matters; their political weight is also important. Now we see European countries, Anglo-Saxon countries, traditionally strong allies of the U.S., France, the U.K., Australia, Canada, also recognizing Palestine.”

Fidan said this reflects both the effectiveness of international efforts and the political pressure generated by global public outrage after witnessing the massacres in Gaza.

“The recognition of the State of Palestine should never have required the martyrdom of 60,000 innocent people, the killing of so many, or the starvation of 2 million,” Fidan said.

He said Palestine is now more widely recognized, and the next step must be to build a “living, functioning state,” which first requires an end to the current war.

Fidan said this should then evolve into a situation where Palestinians can govern themselves with financial and administrative independence. He noted ongoing work toward this goal, including two to three parallel initiatives, particularly the reform of the Palestinian Authority, which involves some Western countries, as well as preparations for Gaza’s self-governance after a possible cease-fire.

“These are the steps we hope to implement in the best-case scenario as we move toward a two-state solution,” he said.

Fidan stressed that under President Erdoğan’s leadership, Türkiye has made “an incredible contribution” to resolving the issue and has done so genuinely, without seeking political credit.

“Our aim is to end this historic injustice and to prevent further suffering of our citizens’ conscience. We are the ones with the responsibility to act and to take measures on their behalf,” he said.

Fidan said Türkiye is working with other countries to develop a cease-fire framework acceptable to the U.S. and aimed at healing the wounds in Gaza.

“Negotiations are ongoing. Contributions are being made. At some point, both the Palestinian and Israeli sides must accept this. We will use our influence with the Palestinians, and the Americans will use theirs with Israel, so that together this mechanism can be implemented,” he said.

Gaza plan

When asked about Türkiye’s stance on a post-conflict reconstruction plan for Gaza, prepared by the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), founded by former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Fidan said his country has not yet received anything clear and concrete, such as a “Blair Plan.”

Saying that Türkiye has not been involved in such a plan, Fidan said Ankara is only involved in efforts on a cease-fire that Washington can also accept, and a framework plan for healing the wounds in Gaza, adding that negotiations on the issue are ongoing.

The Palestinian and Israeli sides must also accept this, Fidan stressed. “We will use our influence with the Palestinians. The Americans will use their influence with Israel to implement this through this mechanism.”

“Tony Blair may be given a role, especially in organizing international aid at some point; that’s a separate issue, but what we, as the Contact Group countries, are sensitively focusing on is that after a possible cease-fire agreement. Gaza will once again be administered by the Palestinians themselves,” he noted.

Türkiye-U.S. ties

Erdoğan’s visits to New York and Washington were highly productive in terms of Ankara’s contacts within the U.N. framework and relations with Washington, Fidan underlined.

Regarding the meeting between Erdoğan and Trump in Washington, Fidan said that they discussed regional and global issues, adding that Erdoğan raised the Palestinian issue and highlighted important issues for Türkiye.

The primary issue among the issues was the swift establishment of a cease-fire in Gaza, and Erdoğan also highlighted the risks posed by Israel’s expansionist policies in the region, Fidan stated.

On Syria, he added that “both countries agree that Syria’s territorial integrity and political unity must be preserved.”

The two leaders also discussed joint steps that could be taken to end the Russo-Ukrainian war and the increased coordination between Türkiye and the U.S. within NATO, the Turkish foreign minister highlighted.

He said Erdoğan had invited Trump to Türkiye for a visit, as part of a NATO summit to be held in Ankara next year, Fidan added.

Issues pertaining to Syria are important for regional security and Türkiye’s security, Fidan stated.

Millions of Syrians are still living outside Syria as “refugees,” and for that to end, Syria must achieve lasting stability and send strong signals, he noted.

Saying that there is a new perception of a threat in the region, particularly in Syria, that began with Israeli attacks, Fidan said Syria has its own unique problems and threats to its social integrity, noting that it suffers from infrastructure and economic difficulties inherited from the era of the Bashar Assad regime, as well as the devastation left by the civil war.

Türkiye, other regional countries, the EU and the U.S. quickly reached a consensus to support the new administration in Syria and heal Syria’s wounds, and unity of action had already begun, he stressed, noting that at this point, Israel’s attacks began to change the equation.

“How can this be resolved? Efforts to address this are ongoing. Our Syrian brothers and sisters are holding discussions on this matter, and we are providing support. We are having discussions and frequently raising this issue with the Americans.

“We are holding discussions with regional countries. This is a crucial issue. We are striving to resolve this through the most appropriate diplomatic means possible,” he said.

Framework issues related to the potential and existing threat posed by the PKK/YPG terrorist group, which uses the name SDF, are constantly on the agenda, Fidan noted, stating that the group is being continuously monitored bilaterally and trilaterally.

The negotiation processes between the Syrian government and the YPG are being closely monitored, he highlighted, noting that the U.S. has assessments and guidance regarding its evolving views and role on the matter.

Türkiye’s goal is to see the creation of an environment where its national security is not threatened, where no minority or majority group, including the Kurdish people in Syria, sees itself under threat, Fidan stated.

He said Ankara is “ready to provide and take whatever political framework, economic contribution, institutional capacity, military and security measures are necessary for this.”

“It is ready to do this not unilaterally, but together with its partners and stakeholders in the region,” added Fidan.