Erdoğan: Raise your voice against killing of babies in Gaza

President Erdoğan on Thursday decried Israel’s killing of infants in Gaza and aggression that led to their starvation, urging the international community to stand up for the innocent

Speaking to reporters during a flight back home from Hungary, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan decried the West’s failure in the face of the humanitarian crisis inflicted on Palestinians by Israel.

In remarks published on Thursday, Erdoğan reiterated his criticism of the situation of Palestinian infants, something he drew attention to in a speech at the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) informal summit in Budapest. “You cannot remain silent as babies are being killed and starved to death,” he said.

The president stated that Europe started coming to its senses, in reference to unprecedented reactions to Israel this week, upon escalating the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza. He said Israel was being isolated internationally the longer it blocks humanitarian aid delivery to the Palestinian territories.

The leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada recently warned Israel with “concrete measures” over what they described as a “completely disproportionate escalation” in the Gaza Strip, though they did not provide further details. The United Kingdom has already suspended talks on a free trade agreement with Israel, while the EU is reviewing its agreement with Israel.

Erdoğan champions the Palestinian cause and often underlines the need to adopt a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict. Under his leadership, Türkiye sought to mobilize the world to exert diplomatic efforts to stop Israel’s aggression targeting Palestinians that claimed tens of thousands of lives since 2023.

“The world is in a deadlock. (The West) did not advocate human rights and international laws; they did so elsewhere in the face of Israel’s cruelty. Remaining silent on Gaza is the ultimate form of deafness and blindness. History will judge those who failed this test. Türkiye always stood for humanity, for the dignity of human beings, and will remain so. We will do everything we can; we will continue sending food to the region,” he said.

Erdoğan also touched upon the terror-free Türkiye initiative that involves the PKK terrorist group’s dissolution. The president hailed the stage of the initiative after the group announced dissolution on May 12. “Mothers will soon reunite with their children,” he said, in reference to the “Diyarbakır Mothers,” a group campaigning for the PKK to let their children abducted for recruitment by the terrorist group return.

“We have a few generations born into this problem that was left unresolved for years. Since the beginning, we have approached this problem sincerely, with a focus on a solution, because we know how a terror-free Türkiye will rise. Our legacy for future generations will be a terror-free Türkiye. It really instills hope to reach this point, after years of suffering, losses and fights. I am very proud to see this is being accomplished after I felt enormous pain in every funeral for a martyr I attended, after years of terrorist attacks that pained us all. I am proud of heroes of counterterrorism, how families of our martyrs stood resilient despite their suffering,” Erdoğan said.

The president stated that the current stage in the initiative was being coordinated by relevant bodies, including the National Intelligence Organization (MIT). He referred to the “reconciliation process” his past governments pursued, although to no avail. “When I was prime minister, I told the public that the PKK should bury their arms. Now it has evolved to laying down the arms and handing them over. Once this is completed, the spirits of our martyrs will find peace,” he said.

Erdoğan also talked about the future of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which is closely associated with the terrorist group and acted as a messenger between the public, the PKK and terrorist group ringleader Abdullah Öcalan, who is currently serving a life term in an island prison in the Marmara Sea. “The DEM Party now has the opportunity to advance its agenda in a different way. They have more than 50 lawmakers and will now have the chance to pursue a stronger policy. The DEM Party should make a difference in this new era, and this will be beneficial both for themselves and for our country,” he said.

Erdoğan also said the PKK’s Syrian wing, the YPG, should join the PKK in dissolving itself, adding that they were closely monitoring the development on that front. He also called upon the Syrian administration to concentrate on the matter of the integration of the YPG into security forces in post-Assad Syria. The U.S.-backed terrorist group thrived during the Assad era in Syria, occupying parts of northeastern Syria. Türkiye launched cross-border offensives in Syria to help Syrian opposition forces drive out the YPG from several towns. Yet, after the fall of the Assad era, the YPG kept clinging to their so-called autonomous zone. Recently, they reached a deal with the new Syrian administration for the integration of their forces into the new Syrian army, though the process is not completed yet, while the YPG voiced the desire to see a “decentralized” Syria to the chagrin of Damascus.

The president stated that the YPG issue had multiple aspects, including the state of Daesh prisoners held by the group. Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, operated by the YPG, holds a sizable number of Daesh members, mostly spouses of slain Daesh terrorists and their children. Erdoğan said Türkiye had a joint committee with the U.S., Syria and Iraq to tackle the issue.

“We are also following how the YPG would respond to (the PKK’s dissolution). It is unclear whether they will heed the call for dissolution or remain committed to the March 8 deal with Damascus. They may want to have it both ways, too. Certainly,the PKK’s decision to dissolve itself covers its Syrian wing too. The YPG is in search of a response and the upcoming days are critical in this process. Our relevant authorities monitor all armed groups’ integration into the Syrian army now. We are particularly monitoring the YPG,” he said.

Erdoğan underlined that Damascus should remain committed to this issue, although they have “plenty of things to handle.”

“Iraq should also be committed to the camp issue,” he said, noting that the majority of those held in al-Hol were Iraqi and Syrian nationals.

“Once this issue is resolved, the YPG will lose significance and hence, their integration into the Syrian army will be easier,” he said.

Commenting on Türkiye’s relations with the United States, Erdoğan emphasized his friendship with U.S. President Donald Trump and expressed plans to meet the president in a U.S. visit soon. He lauded Trump’s positive approach to bilateral relations. “Turkish-U.S. relations are not trivial, as some people have come to believe. Mr. Trump’s approach is positive, and this is mutual. We have a relationship based on mutual respect and sincerity,” he said.

Türkiye and the U.S. have a long history of military and economic cooperation. However, their ties have drifted away from a strategic partnership in recent years as disagreements between the two long-standing treaty allies have widened, especially under the Obama and Biden administrations.

OTS summit

On Wednesday, Erdoğan had a strong presence at the informal meeting of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Budapest and the declaration of the summit reflected Türkiye’s sensitivities on several issues, especially on the status of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is not recognized by most of the international community. Erdoğan said his talks in Hungary and the summit overall were very fruitful, noting that the visibility and activity of the OTS have been rising.

“Our organization became an institution contributing to regional and international peace and stability through conflict prevention, mediation and de-escalation in a global context where stability failed to emerge,” he said.

He noted that the Budapest Declaration at the end of the summit highlighted the contribution to efforts for keeping the TRNC as an inseparable part of the Turkic world and agreed upon the natural rights of Turkish Cypriots as sovereign equals and the need for a solution to the Cyprus question based on existing realities in the divided island.

Erdoğan also lauded relations with Hungary. “We have come a long way in strengthening our ties with the steps taken in recent years. We have a leader in diplomacy. Having Hungary, an EU member, as an observer member of the OTS enriches the organization. I believe we will reach a whole other level in our relations with Hungary. Hungary is also a major supporter of Türkiye’s bid for European Union membership. We cooperate in NATO as well, and our cooperation in the defense industry deepens through tangible projects,” he said.