The Speaker of the Turkish Parliament has sharply criticised
the United Nations for its inaction regarding the ongoing Israeli operations in
Gaza, calling for urgent and concrete international intervention. Turkish
political leadership and parliament have denounced Israel's actions, terming
them as genocide and urging the immediate opening of Gaza's border crossings to
allow humanitarian aid.
Why Did the Turkish Parliament Speaker Call Out the United Nations?
As reported by Türkiye Today, Numan Kurtulmus, Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, used a press conference in Geneva to directly challenge the effectiveness of the United Nations over its response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“What needs to be done is for the United Nations to immediately take concrete measures that will stop Israel's aggression,”
Kurtulmus said during his meeting with Geneva-based journalists. He emphasised,
“The U.N. should immediately ensure the opening of Gaza's border crossings from both the south and north to ensure that these dying people are saved from death.”
Kurtulmus further expressed his disappointment with the international organisation’s apparent inability to stop what he referred to as a “humanitarian catastrophe” in the territory, pointedly asking:
“We are now speaking at the United Nations. Where is the United Nations? What good is this United Nations?”
Kurtulmus accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon, underlining that international aid supplies have been waiting at border crossings since January, prevented from being delivered:
“All humanitarian aid materials from around the world are waiting at the door, but they are not being allowed in... Because it has been decided to use hunger as a weapon.”
Are Turkey’s Accusations of Genocide New?
As detailed by Anadolu Agency, Numan Kurtulmus called for unified global action against what he described as
“a genocide in the making”
in Gaza at the 6th World Conference of Parliament Speakers in Geneva. He described the crisis in Palestine as
"a universal issue of justice that concerns not only the Palestinian people... but all of humanity,"
building upon a bipartisan parliamentary motion signed by himself and passed unanimously. The motion condemns, “in the strongest terms, Israel's genocide in Gaza,” highlighting tens of thousands of innocent casualties and criticising Israel’s attacks on Iran for destabilising the region. The parliamentary motion explicitly stated:
"For decades, in addition to the occupation, systematic oppression, and discrimination, the Palestinian people, who are now struggling with genocide and suffering from hunger due to a lack of aid, continue their fight for existence. The Israeli government and military, by targeting civilians and children waiting for aid, have added another serious crime to their acts, which fall under the category of crimes against humanity."
The motion linked Israeli actions in Gaza to a broader
"regional conflict strategy" and stressed that such behaviour
increases the risk of a large-scale war.
How Has Turkey’s Parliament Formally Responded?
According to reports by Anadolu Agency and Middle East
Monitor, the Turkish Grand National Assembly unanimously passed a motion,
drafted and signed by Speaker Kurtulmus, condemning Israel’s actions as genocidal
and a threat to peace not only in Palestine but globally. The motion
addressed:
- The
massacre of tens of thousands in Gaza and new Israeli military threats to
Iran,
- The
escalation of regional tensions,
- The
deliberate targeting of civilians and the use of starvation as a tactic,
- The
imperative for international legal accountability, and,
- Support
for the two-state solution as the only viable avenue for lasting peace.
What Are the Specific Demands Directed at the United Nations?
As per Türkiye Today and Anadolu Agency, Parliament Speaker
Kurtulmus has made several explicit demands of the United Nations:
- Immediate
and concrete action to halt Israeli operations in Gaza,
- The
urgent opening of all border crossings (from both the north and south) to
allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid,
- Parliamentary
and global solidarity with the Palestinian people,
- Deep
reforms within the UN system to address repeated failures to protect
civilians in conflict.
Kurtulmus questioned the international system’s effectiveness, stating that
“hunger is being used as a weapon in Gaza,” and called for a reformed international order where "right, not might, prevails".
How Has Turkey Framed These Developments in a Broader International Context?
Reported by Anadolu Agency and United Nations records, Speaker Kurtulmus, referencing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, reiterated the Turkish position that Palestinian statehood is a right, not a reward, adding,
“Apart from the urgent need to put an end to the unfolding genocidal campaign... we are of the view that the two-state solution is the only path to establishing a just and lasting peace in the region”.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also weighed in at the United
Nations General Assembly, criticising the failure of the Security Council and
calling the world's inaction unacceptable:
“The massacre in Gaza — where over 41,000 Palestinians have lost their lives — is the most dramatic example of the fact that ‘the world is bigger than five’... In Gaza, not only are children dying, but also the United Nations system. What are you waiting for to prevent the genocide in Gaza and to put a ‘stop’ to this cruelty, this barbarism?” (UN transcript, September 2024).
Erdogan argued that Israel’s ongoing campaign is
“setting the region and the whole world on fire,”
insisting on the necessity of Muslim
solidarity and expanded international action.
What Role Is Turkey Playing in Gaza?
As noted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the UN and covered in
United Nations records, Turkey is currently the largest provider of
humanitarian aid to Gaza, having delivered 30 tons of aid to Lebanon and
pledging continued assistance as security conditions permit. Erdogan underlined
that 70% of water resources and 75% of ovens in Gaza have been destroyed,
intensifying the importance of urgent aid efforts.
What Do These Developments Mean for International Diplomacy?
Kurtulmus, as reported by Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor, has invited parliaments around the world to join a Group of Parliaments in Support of Palestine, with the explicit condition that they embrace the two-state solution. He has called these efforts a
"universal test of moral responsibility and global justice"
and emphasised that ignoring injustices in Palestine risks peace everywhere.
The Turkish Parliament, led by Speaker Numan Kurtulmus and
strongly supported by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has mounted a vigorous
campaign urging the United Nations and the broader international community to
intervene decisively in Gaza. The Turkish leadership is demanding the immediate
opening of Gaza’s borders for aid, holding Israel accountable for alleged
crimes against humanity, and advocating for a two-state solution. Their
statements highlight growing frustration with the perceived ineffectiveness of
the United Nations and underscore Turkey’s commitment both to humanitarian
support in Gaza and to diplomatic initiatives on the world stage.