The eyes of the world are on New York. The United Nations General Assembly convened for the 81st time. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is addressing the United Nations General Assembly for the 16th time.
Highlights from President Erdoğan's statements:
I pray to God that the 81st General Assembly of the United Nations will be beneficial to all people, especially the oppressed.
I would like to express our congratulations and thanks to my dear friend Mr. Guterres, who has served as the Secretary-General of the United Nations with impartiality and, above all, courage, for nearly ten years, for his efforts.
First of all, I would like to express my sadness. Mr. Mahmud Abbas, the esteemed President of the State of Palestine, who is officially recognized by the overwhelming majority of member countries, has not been able to take part in this hall for two consecutive years. This injustice towards our Palestinian brothers hurts the conscience. I want it to be known that even though Mr. Abbas cannot be here in person, we will continue to announce to the world from the UN rostrum the voice of the free and sovereign State of Palestine, just like last year. On this occasion, today I once again invite all countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to review their decisions.
"HUMANITY IS LONGLY WAITING FOR THE DAYS WHEN A STRONG WILL WILL COME TO LIFE"
Mr. President, dear members. When the United Nations Charter was signed on June 26, 1945, the member states declared with great hope: "We, the people of the United Nations, have decided to protect future generations from the disaster of war that brings indescribable suffering to humanity twice in a human lifetime, to create the necessary conditions for fundamental human rights, the dignity and value of the human person, the protection of justice and respect for the obligations arising from the agreement, to live in peace with each other in the spirit of good neighborliness, and to join our forces to maintain international peace and security." they said.
More than 81 years have passed since the agreement. But humanity is still longing for the days when the strong will of that day will come to life.
ISRAEL'S STATE TERROR
There is no need to go that far. It is enough to just take a look at the table of the last year. Look, the past 12 months have been recorded as one of the bloodiest periods of the last 30 years, with more than 60 conflicts and wars. 250 thousand people lost their lives from Gaza to Ukraine and Russia, from Myanmar to Darfur, from Iran to Lebanon. Many more experienced indescribable pain. Hundreds of thousands of them had 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, became victims of Israel's state terrorism. The people of Gaza are still searching for their loved ones under the rubble, digging up the bodies of their wives, children and parents. Innocent children who lost their hands and feet in Israeli attacks are trying to go to school and hold on to life with prosthetics made of wood.
More than 70 percent of generators in hospitals in Gaza are currently out of service due to fuel shortages. As a father and a grandfather who cares about his children and grandchildren, I have to say this from this podium, with our conscience torn: Gaza is not only the world's largest children's cemetery today. It is also the region with the highest child amputation rate in the world.
"THIS IS NOT TAYYIP ERDOĞAN'S PERSONAL ISSUE, IT IS A HUMAN ISSUE"
Gaza is the most inhumane and shameful concentration camp of our time. Even after the ceasefire reached with the efforts of President Trump and the contributions of countries including us, the number of Gazans murdered exceeded 1,500. The Israeli Government is not willing to stop the occupation. In the West Bank, we are experiencing the heaviest period of settler terrorism. Muslims and Christians are prevented from accessing holy places in Jerusalem. UNRWA, our joint initiative, is being destroyed. Now, my dear friends, today I will express some truths here, with my heart, without putting any curtains on the cave of my words. No one should be sorry. No one should be offended or offended.
This is not Tayyip Erdoğan's personal issue. This is a humanitarian issue. It is a matter of conscience for all of us. We are faced with a genocidal mentality that cannot get enough of killing. We have an extremely dire situation before us. No one who has humanity in his heart, who has mercy and compassion in his heart, who is humane and conscientious, can close his 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. On the one hand, we need to keep up with the rapidly developing technology, and on the other hand, we carry the difficult but sublime responsibility of building a just order. I want to share some basic principles with you. We have to change the understanding that international law is applied differently to the strong and differently to the weak. The system in which the perpetrators get away with it and impunity becomes commonplace is doomed to decay.
First of all, we have to change the current understanding in which international law is applied differently to the strong and differently to the weak. It should not be forgotten that an international system where those who do it get away with it and where impunity becomes commonplace is doomed to decay.
Secondly, we have to use regional ownership to open a new path at every stage where international will is blocked in resolving crises. As Türkiye, we have achieved results in every issue, such as the Black Sea Grain Corridor, in which we acted together with this country. We contributed to both regional and global security.
Thirdly, we must reestablish an understanding that puts cooperation and open diplomacy at the center of interstate relations. History has shown us many times through bitter experience that there are no winners in a political approach based on distrust.
Fourth, we must build together a new paradigm that provides solutions to the deepening income inequalities around the world. We believe that the way to achieve this is through common development, solidarity and non-alignment. Societies connected to each other by roads, trade, energy lines and joint production will eventually unite in peace and stability.
Finally, we should not allow the building of new walls between those who have technology and those who do not, by making the human-centered understanding of technology dominant. It should be known that techno-polarization and digital hegemony are neither for the benefit of the United Nations-centered system nor for the states that are its essential elements. Dear delegates, as Türkiye, we do not just express these principles. We seek a more just and humane international system with every step we take. With the defense alliance we have established with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia with the understanding of regional ownership, we both reinforce the solidarity between us and aim to produce solutions to the problems in our region from within the region. Our efforts with relevant actors to end the conflict and war environment that has been fueled in the Gulf continue.
I especially underline it. In Gaza, we are following the signature we signed in Sharm El-Sheikh a year ago. We need to start the reconstruction of Gaza without delay. I invite you to put more pressure on Israel on this issue. Everyone should now accept this: Attempts to disrupt the State of Palestine will be disappointed. I hope we will see those beautiful days when the independent and territorial integrity of the State of Palestine will come into being.
A NEW ROAD HAS BEEN ENTERED IN SYRIA
My friends, after 14 years of oppression, Syria 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 in their journey.
We fully support efforts to strengthen state authority and strengthen stability in another neighbor of ours, Iraq. We work in cooperation with Iraq on strategic transportation and energy projects that will increase the prosperity of our region, especially the Development Road Project.
It is our sincere desire that the Russia-Ukraine war ends by ensuring Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We continue our contacts with the parties in order to re-establish navigation safety in the Black Sea, ensure food security and prevent the war from spreading to a wider geography. I particularly emphasize that the recent attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea are unacceptable, no matter who they are doing. We believe that freedom of navigation in the Türkün Strait should be protected.
DRAW ATTENTION TO NATO ANKARA SUMMIT
We wish that the current issues in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean will be resolved on the basis of good neighborly relations and in accordance with international law. Our Eastern Mediterranean Conference proposal will contribute to establishing a common ground. On this occasion, today I repeat once again the call I made at the United Nations General Assembly. The sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people must be established, and the inhuman isolation to which they are subjected must come to an 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.
Dear delegates, Türkiye continues to be an island of stability in the midst of conflicts with its developing defense industry and shock-resistant economy. As an integral part of Europe, our country plays important roles in ensuring the welfare 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. To be frank, it is not possible for a Europe in which Türkiye is excluded from the security architecture to become stronger and more secure. We shape our future with the European Union with this strategic vision. We expect the same vision together.
"OUR VIEW ON THE SOUTH CAUCASIA IS EXTREMELY CLEAR"
Our view on the South Caucasus is also extremely clear. We hope that permanent peace will be established between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We appreciate and support the will for a solution put forth by Mr. Aliyev and Mr. Pashinyan. We are also resolutely advancing our normalization process with Armenia.
I would also like to express this with pleasure. The Organization of Turkic States has become an exemplary regional cooperation model that gets stronger year by year. The 13th Leaders' Summit, which will be held in Ankara on October 30, will hopefully open new doors and new horizons for the organization. The Fourth Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit, which we will organize in Libya in December, is the symbol of our corporate partnership that we have developed for more than 20 years. It is important that all conflicts in South Asia, including the Kashmir issue, be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the United Nations Charter and relevant resolutions. It is possible to solve any problem if constructive action is taken.
TENSIONS IN AFRICA
The same applies to tensions on the African continent. We fully support the ceasefire and permanent peace efforts in Sudan and the efforts to strengthen security, development and institutional capacity in Somalia. Maintaining stability and tranquility in Libya is our priority. It is essential that the reconciliation process on the agenda be carried out under the leadership and ownership of Libyans. As Türkiye, we continue our support for the success of this process. On the other hand, we continue to improve our relations with our partners in the Asia-Pacific through our Asia Again 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 develop our relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries with mutual respect, partnership and win-win understanding.
COP31 SUMMIT IN ANTALYA
Dear members, we all get our sustenance and source of life from nature. However, our world is on the verge of serious threats in terms of environment and climate. Air, water, soil, as well as many living creatures are affected by climate change. While developing countries and the Pacific region are experiencing the climate crisis to their core, unfortunately they face serious difficulties in accessing the financing they need. We will host the COP31 Summit in Antalya in November this year. We will ensure that climate justice is particularly highlighted at the summit. With the partnership we have developed with Australia, COP31 will become an event where financing commitments are fulfilled, technology transfer is accelerated and promises are turned into concrete steps. COP31 will become a union where we unite all over the world. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the COP31 Leaders Summit.
