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Establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital is the only path to a lasting peace in the Middle East, ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Ömer Çelik said Tuesday, stressing that no regional stability can be achieved without resolving the Palestinian issue.
Speaking after the ruling party’s Central Executive Board (MKYK) meeting, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Çelik said the final and just solution lies in forming “a sovereign and united Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.”
“There is no alternative route to peace other than creating a Palestinian state with territorial integrity and independence,” Çelik told reporters. “The Middle East question is, in essence, the Palestine problem. Unless the Palestinian question is resolved, it is impossible to solve any other issue in the region.”
He said the government views the recent cease-fire in Gaza as a step toward stability but emphasized that the humanitarian aid allowed into the enclave remains far from sufficient. “It is valuable that aid is entering Gaza, but we know this is not enough. There is still a long road ahead,” he said.
Çelik denounced Israel’s actions in Gaza as “one of the most brutal atrocities the world has witnessed,” accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of using starvation as a weapon and targeting civilians. He reiterated Erdoğan’s stance that Hamas cannot be defined as a terrorist organization but represents Palestinians defending their homeland.
“The perpetrators of these massacres must ultimately face justice,” Çelik said, adding that Türkiye will continue to advocate for a permanent cease-fire and the political recognition of Palestine as the foundation of lasting peace.
The Turkish public and government are major supporters of the Palestinian cause. Türkiye has been a traditional ally to Palestine, but as the Israeli attacks became more brutal, Ankara has become harsher in its criticism in the past year. It has condemned what it calls genocide, halted all trade with Israel and applied to join the genocide case against Israel at the World Court, which Israel rejects.
“With the process including a prisoner exchange, the release of detainees and other hostages as well as the cease-fire, our brothers in Gaza have been able to breathe a little, and it has been possible both yesterday and today for the highest amount of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza throughout this entire process,” Çelik continued adding that even this is not nearly enough.
“It is clear that Netanyahu is a political figure who is sticking to massacring for his own political career and future.”
“Despite all this, this declaration of intent, signed by our president along with Qatar, Egypt and the United States, represents a new stage in the opposition to these genocidal policies over the past two years. An international will against these genocidal policies has been clearly demonstrated by all the leaders present. The need for an international guarantee has become clear. The path is now clear for progress toward an agreement on how to achieve lasting peace,” he elaborated.
Çelik reiterated that plans such as exiling Palestinians from Gaza or the governance of Palestinians by other authorities instead of the Palestinians are not acceptable.
“Palestine, that is to say, both Gaza and the West Bank, must be governed by Palestinians.”
Çelik underlined that Türkiye will continue to work for progress, not to be harmed by any provocations.
The first phase of the Gaza cease-fire agreement took effect on Friday under U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the two-year Israeli war on the enclave.
Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi convened a high-level summit Monday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, bringing together world leaders to garner international support for Trump’s Gaza cease-fire plan.
In the plan’s first phase, the Palestinian group Hamas released 20 Israeli captives, while Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
As part of the cease-fire deal, Israeli troops withdrew from densely populated areas and humanitarian aid began arriving in Gaza.
Later phases include demilitarizing Hamas, establishing a temporary technocratic governing mechanism and deploying an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to ensure border security.
