Ahmet Davutoğlu’s statement on Palestine: “If I were in office…”

Future Party Chairman Ahmet Davutoğlu met with representatives of several journalists. According to a report by Saygı Öztürk from Sözcü, Davutoğlu commented on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, saying, “If I were in office, I would provide unconditional support to Palestine and intervene for a prisoner exchange.”

Stating that they are watching the events in the Middle East with concern, Davutoğlu noted the following:

“The Palestinian issue is being brought to the agenda with the deliberate phrase ‘Israel is under attack.’ The victim is the Palestinian people. I have mediated between Israel and Palestine in the past. In 2012, I went to Gaza with 12 ministers. I cannot forget the cries of a father in the hospital whose daughter was martyred. In Palestine, which has been under occupation for 75 years, Israeli soldiers enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque with their boots and dogs to conduct searches. You cannot touch the children of these people whose fathers were driven from their lands.”

"THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE IS NOT JUST THE PALESTINIANS' ISSUE, BUT THE WORLD'S ISSUE"

The operation by the Palestinians is a surprise development. The Palestinian issue is not just the Palestinians' issue, but the world's issue.

The Arabs, who were thought to be behind a people cut off from the world, are now in closer relations with Israel than with Palestine. The Palestinians feel abandoned. Despite proposals for a two-state solution, there has been no progress on this matter for 30 years. Israel shows all of Palestine within its own borders. A people is being erased from history. No one can stand before such a people.

"THE PRESIDENT CANNOT SAY ‘PALESTINE’!"

All parties issued official statements. The only exceptions were the AKP and MHP, which remained silent on this issue. Those who issued statements indicated that they stand with the Palestinians and that the issue is a humanitarian one. No sound came from Erdoğan and Bahçeli. The speech he gave at his party's congress is a complete disgrace. Palestine is burning, Al-Aqsa Mosque is being trampled by dogs, and the President cannot say ‘Palestine’. Whoever prepared this speech for the President should be dismissed immediately. In 1967, Israel had raised the Israeli flag over the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Upon Turkey's determined stance on this matter, that flag was lowered within an hour at that time. Turkey had declared that it stood with the people trying to determine their own destiny. Today, if I were in office, I would provide unconditional support to the Palestinians, I would not ignore the disrespect towards the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and I would make every effort to prevent it.”

"THE SUPPORT TO BE GIVEN TO PALESTINE IS DIPLOMATIC SUPPORT"

Regarding the question of what kind of support the President could provide to Palestine, Davutoğlu replied, “The support to be given to Palestine is diplomatic support. There are things that diplomacy can solve. I mediated three times and we achieved results.” Noting that no results have been achieved from the two-state solution proposals in Palestine, Davutoğlu added that Israel has no such intention and that Israel is trying to destroy the two-state solution with these actions.

“I WOULD INTERVENE FOR A CEASEFIRE”

Pointing out that although there are steps Turkey could take to resolve the disputes between Palestine and Israel, the government remains silent on this issue, Davutoğlu said, “I am not in office. If I were in office, I would do the following,” and listed them:

1. I would provide unconditional support to Palestine.
2. I would declare that any action against the Al-Aqsa Mosque would be an action against the entire Islamic world and humanity, and I would declare that Turkey would review all its relations with Israel in the face of any fait accompli regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
3. I would immediately call the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to a meeting.
4. I would contact the King of Morocco, who is the head of the Jerusalem Committee at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and request that the committee meet immediately.
5. I would call the UN Secretary-General directly and request that the ‘custom regarding the protection of religious sites’ in the Jerusalem Committee, established in 1948, be guaranteed.
6. I would immediately establish contact with the Israeli and Palestinian (Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas) sides and intervene for a ceasefire.
7. I would intervene for a prisoner exchange.
   

News Source: 12punto