AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made statements at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
Here are the highlights from Erdoğan's remarks:
I pray to my Lord that the 81st United Nations General Assembly will be beneficial to all humanity, especially the oppressed.
I would like to convey our congratulations and thanks to my dear friend Mr. Guterres, who has carried out his duties as United Nations Secretary-General for nearly ten years with impartiality and, above all, with courage, for his efforts.
First of all, I would like to express my regret. The esteemed President of the State of Palestine, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, whom the vast majority of member states officially recognize, has been unable to take his place in this hall for two consecutive years. This injustice against our Palestinian brothers and sisters wounds consciences. I want it to be known that even if Mr. Abbas cannot be here in person, we will continue, just as we did last year, to be the voice of the free and sovereign State of Palestine and to make it heard to the world from the UN podium. On this occasion, I once again invite all countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to reconsider their decisions.
"HUMANITY IS LONGINGLY AWAITING THE DAYS WHEN A STRONG WILL WILL COME TO LIFE"
Mr. President, distinguished members. When the United Nations Charter was signed on June 26, 1945, member states declared with great hope: “We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security.”
More than 81 years have passed since the agreement. But humanity is still longingly awaiting the days when that strong will of that day will come to life.
ISRAEL'S STATE TERROR
There is no need to go too far. It is enough to take a look at the picture of the last year alone. Look, the past 12 months have been recorded as one of the bloodiest periods of the last 30 years, with over 60 conflicts and wars. From Gaza to Ukraine and Russia, from Myanmar to Darfur, from Iran to Lebanon, 250 thousand people have lost their lives. Many more have suffered unspeakable pain. Hundreds of thousands have been forced to leave the lands where they were born and raised. In Gaza alone, in the last three years, 74 thousand of our brothers and sisters, mostly children and women, have been victims of Israel's state terror. The people of Gaza are still searching for their loved ones under the rubble, pulling out the corpses of their spouses, children, and parents. Innocent children who have lost their hands and feet in Israeli attacks are trying to go to school and hold on to life with prosthetics made of wood.
Due to fuel shortages in hospitals in Gaza, more than 70 percent of generators are currently unable to function. As a father and a grandfather who dotes on his children and grandchildren, I must express this from this podium with a broken heart: Gaza today is not just the world's largest children's graveyard. It is also the region with the highest rate of child amputees in the world.
"THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL MATTER FOR TAYYIP ERDOĞAN"
Gaza is the most inhumane, most shameful concentration camp of our age. Even after the ceasefire reached with the efforts of President Trump and the contributions of countries including our own, the number of Gazans massacred has exceeded 1,500. The Israeli Government refuses to stop the occupation. In the West Bank, we are experiencing the most severe period of settler terror. In Jerusalem, the access of Muslims and Christians to holy sites is being blocked. UNRWA, which is our collective initiative, is being targeted for destruction. Now, my dear friends, today, with my heart and without putting a veil over my words, I will express some truths here openly. Let no one be offended. Let no one be hurt or take it personally.
This is not a personal matter for Tayyip Erdoğan. This is a humanitarian issue. It is a matter of conscience for all of us. We are facing a genocidal mentality that cannot get enough of killing. We are facing a very grave picture. No one with humanity in their heart, with mercy, compassion, and a conscience can close their eyes to this picture.
"THE WORLD IS BIGGER THAN 5"
The Security Council must be reformed according to the principle that the world is bigger than 5. While we must keep up with rapidly developing technology on one hand, we carry the arduous but noble responsibility of building a just order on the other. I would like to share some basic principles with you. We are obliged to change the understanding that international law is applied differently to the strong and differently to the weak. A system where the perpetrator gets away with it and impunity becomes commonplace is doomed to rot.
First of all, we are obliged to change the current understanding that international law is applied differently to the strong and differently to the weak. Let it not be forgotten that an international system where the perpetrator gets away with it, and furthermore, where impunity becomes commonplace, is doomed to rot.
Secondly, at every stage where the international will is deadlocked in resolving crises, we must use regional ownership to open a new path. As Turkey, we have achieved results in every issue, such as the Black Sea Grain Corridor, where we acted with this country. We have contributed to both regional and global security.
Thirdly, we must absolutely re-establish an understanding that places cooperation and open diplomacy at the center of interstate relations. History has shown us many times with painful experiences that there is no winner in a political understanding built on mistrust.
Fourthly, we must build a new paradigm together that produces solutions to the income inequalities that are deepening worldwide. We believe that the way to this lies in common development, solidarity, and non-alignment. Societies connected to each other through roads, trade, energy lines, and joint production will eventually unite in peace and stability.
Finally, by making a human-centered technology approach dominant, we must not allow new walls to be built between those who possess technology and those who do not. It should be known that techno-polarization and digital hegemony are for the benefit of neither the United Nations-centered system nor the states that are its essential elements. Distinguished delegates, as Turkey, we do not just voice these principles. In every step we take, we are in search of a fairer and more humane international system. With the defense alliance we established with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia with an understanding of regional ownership, we are both reinforcing our solidarity and aiming to produce solutions to the problems in our region from within the region. Our efforts with relevant actors to end the environment of conflict and war ignited in the Gulf continue.
I am underlining this specifically. As for Gaza, we are the followers of the signature we put in Sharm El-Sheikh a year ago. We need to start the reconstruction of Gaza without wasting time. I invite you to exert more pressure on Israel on this issue. Let everyone accept this now: Attempts to dismantle the State of Palestine will end in frustration. I hope we will see those beautiful days when an independent State of Palestine with territorial integrity will come into being.
A NEW PATH HAS BEEN ENTERED IN SYRIA
My friends, after 14 years of oppression, Syria has entered a new path with the December 8 Revolution. We see that under the leadership of President Shaara, Syria is moving towards the goal of becoming a safe and peaceful country despite all kinds of internal and external provocations. We will continue to stand by the brotherly Syrian people on this journey.
We have full support for the efforts to strengthen state authority and consolidate stability in our other neighbor, Iraq. We are working in cooperation with Iraq on strategic transport and energy projects that will increase the prosperity of our region, especially the Development Road Project.
Our sincere desire is for the Russia-Ukraine war to end with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine ensured. We continue our contacts with the parties to restore freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, ensure food security, and prevent the war from spreading to a wider geography. I emphasize in particular that the recent attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea are unacceptable, regardless of who carries them out. We believe that freedom of navigation in the Turkish Straits must be protected.
DREW ATTENTION TO THE NATO ANKARA SUMMIT
We desire that the existing issues in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean be resolved on the basis of good neighborly relations and in accordance with international law. Our proposal for an Eastern Mediterranean Conference will contribute to creating a common ground. On this occasion, I repeat the call I made at the United Nations General Assemblies once again today. The sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people must be established, and the inhumane isolation they are subjected to must end. I invite the international community to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and to establish political, diplomatic, and economic relations with this state.
Distinguished delegates, Turkey continues to be an island of stability in the midst of conflicts with its developing defense industry and its economy resilient to shocks. As an inseparable part of Europe, our country plays important roles in ensuring the prosperity and security of the continent. The NATO Ankara Summit, which we successfully hosted in July, was a concrete sign of our determination regarding our common security. It is, frankly, not possible for a Europe that excludes Turkey from its security architecture to be stronger and safer. We are shaping our future with the European Union with this very strategic vision. We expect the same vision from them as well.
"OUR VIEW ON THE SOUTH CAUCASUS IS EXTREMELY CLEAR"
Our view on the South Caucasus is also extremely clear. We wish for the establishment of lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We appreciate and support the will for a solution put forward by Mr. Aliyev and Mr. Pashinyan. We are also resolutely advancing the normalization process we are conducting with Armenia.
I would also like to express with pleasure that the Organization of Turkic States has become an exemplary regional cooperation model that grows stronger year by year. The 13th Leaders' Summit to be held in Ankara on October 30 will hopefully open new doors and new horizons for the organization. The Fourth Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit, which we will organize in Libya in December, is a symbol of the institutional partnership we have been developing for over 20 years. It is important that all disputes in South Asia, including the Kashmir issue, be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the United Nations Charter and relevant resolutions. If constructive action is taken, the resolution of all kinds of problems is possible.
TENSIONS IN AFRICA
The same applies to tensions on the African continent. We have full support for efforts for a ceasefire and lasting peace in Sudan, and for efforts to strengthen security, development, and institutional capacity in Somalia. Maintaining stability and calm in Libya is our priority. It is essential that the consensus process on the agenda be carried out under the leadership and ownership of the Libyans. As Turkey, we continue our support for the success of this process. On the other hand, we continue to develop our relations with our partners in the Asia-Pacific with our Re-Asia initiative. We see the elevation of our relations with ASEAN to the level of dialogue partnership as a concrete result of this approach. Likewise, we are developing our relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries with an understanding of mutual respect, partnership, and win-win.
COP31 SUMMIT IN ANTALYA
Distinguished members, we all receive our sustenance and source of life from nature. However, our world is on the brink of serious threats regarding the environment and climate. Air, water, soil, and many living things are affected by climate change. While developing countries and the Pacific region experience the climate crisis to their bones, they unfortunately face serious difficulties in accessing the financing they need. We will host the COP31 Summit in Antalya in November this year. At the summit, we will ensure that climate justice is brought to the forefront. With the partnership we have developed with Australia, COP31 will become a unity where we unite all over the world, where financing commitments are fulfilled, technology transfer is accelerated, and promises are turned into concrete steps. I take this opportunity to invite you to the COP31 Leaders' Summit.
The Zero Waste Movement, which my wife Emine Erdoğan started in 2017 by saying 'The world is our common home,' has turned into a global awareness mobilization since that day. It is a fact that there are undoubtedly many ways to fight the climate crisis. The Zero Waste Movement is the strongest bridge where all these paths meet. I believe that this bridge will become even stronger with your support. Here, I also bring to your attention the following fact: Another danger as great as climate change is the spread of a culture of waste driven by the greed for consumption. Every year, 5.8 trillion plates of food are thrown away in the world. In other words, over 2 billion tons of food are wasted.
As Turkey, we are ready to make every contribution to both the efforts to prevent waste and to ensure global food security. With this understanding, I have nominated Dr. Mehmet Mehdi Eker for the Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. I believe you will not withhold your support. It is also useful to know this: While our world is changing rapidly, humanity has simultaneously begun to face new social threats. Islamophobia, which is spreading like a plague in the West, is at the top of these. Especially Muslim women and girls have been subjected to more discrimination in recent years. We see the headscarf bans that some countries have implemented in schools as an attack on the most fundamental rights of women.
News Source: 12punto
