Speaking alongside Egypt’s top diplomat, Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan vows joint opposition to Israel’s Gaza plan, highlights Türkiye’s humanitarian aid efforts
Türkiye will convene an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address Israel’s plan to fully occupy Gaza, said the nation’s foreign minister on Saturday.
"As chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers, we have decided to call the OIC to a meeting," Hakan Fidan told reporters at a joint press conference in Egypt alongside Badr Abdelatty, the Egyptian foreign minister.
Fidan also condemned Israel’s intentions, saying: "We completely reject (Israel’s) intention to fully occupy Gaza; this plan is a new phase of Israel’s expansionist and genocidal policy."
He added: "Türkiye and Egypt will continue to stand against such scenarios."
On what needs to be done to defend humanity in Palestine, Fidan said: “The whole world now knows that Israel is ruled by a fascist, militarist, and fundamentalist mentality. Today, the Palestinian cause has gained a much stronger position on a global level. Public opinion in the Western world, in particular, has begun to exert more pressure on governments to support Palestine. No one, absolutely no one, wants to bear the cost and moral burden of standing by Israel anymore.”
- Türkiye’s humanitarian efforts, Israeli obstruction
Highlighting Türkiye’s humanitarian efforts, Fidan also said: "To date we have sent approximately 102,000 tons of humanitarian aid for our brothers in Gaza. We thank Egypt for its close cooperation in delivering the aid."
“The Egyptian Red Crescent, Turkish Red Crescent, and Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Coordination Agency have been working together. We have been able to send a large amount of aid materials here, and we will continue this,” Fidan added.
Decrying Israel’s policy of denying this aid to Palestinians, he said: "As the international community sends aid, Israel has a policy of preventing this aid from entering and forcing Palestinians to starve to death, to the point of extinction, so that they voluntarily abandon their land. Israel's goal is to de-Palestinize Gaza, to turn it into a place where Palestinians do not live, where it can establish its own occupation and settle permanent settlers."
Fidan thanked Abdelatty for hosting the meeting and said: “Türkiye and Egypt will continue to be the main elements of peace and stability in this region. With this awareness, we will continue to work together and hold consultations. I hope that today's talks will take Türkiye-Egypt relations to new heights.”
Later in the day, Fidan met with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Arab League secretary-general.
Israel has faced mounting outrage for its genocide in Gaza, where it has killed more than 61,000 people since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and led to deaths by hunger and starvation.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
Reaffirming Ankara’s position on Palestinian statehood, Fidan also said: "Palestine belongs to the Palestinians. Any effort aimed at expelling Palestinians from their own lands is null and void and is doomed to fail."
"We will defend international law and humanitarian values in the strongest way against Israel’s policies of genocide," he added.
