UPDATE - Türkiye to seek to join in world court genocide case against Israel, says foreign minister

ADDS MORE REMARKS BY FOREIGN MINISTER HAKAN FIDAN

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye will seek to be part of South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, said the nation’s foreign minister on Wednesday.

“Türkiye has decided to seek to join in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the ICJ,” Hakan Fidan told a joint news conference alongside his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.

During a meeting in the capital Ankara, the two discussed Palestine and the situation in Gaza, among other subjects.

“With this step, we hope that the process in front of the ICJ will progress in the right direction,” Fidan added.

Stating that Türkiye’s efforts on its application have been ongoing for “a very long time,” Fidan said Ankara will soon complete its legal work on the case.

"Meanwhile, we will continue to work with all friendly and allied countries on what more can be done on this issue and which countries can further apply,” he added.

Late last year, South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.

An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Fidan said that during his visit to the Saudi capital Riyadh earlier this week to attend the Gaza Contact Group meeting, he reiterated messages focusing on recognition of the Palestinian state and the two-state solution.

Expressing satisfaction that some Western countries are now accepting the two-state solution as a prerequisite and recognizing that ensuring Palestine's security is as important as Israel's, Fidan added: “With all these efforts, we can now see that at least in rhetoric, the entire world is converging towards the same point.”

"The statements from some European countries saying they are close to recognizing Palestine were also particularly encouraging,” he said.

Saying that currently around 136 countries recognize Palestine, but predominantly European countries and the US do not, Fidan added that the aim is transforming this recognition into greater international legitimacy and acceptance, applying more pressure, especially on the UN Security Council, and "primarily on the US".

"In this regard, we are continuing our systematic and intensive efforts in collaboration with our allies," he added.

- Criticism against international community over Gaza

Criticizing the international community over the ongoing situation in Gaza, Fidan said: “In the 21st century, while deaths from hunger are occurring in Gaza, mass graves are being uncovered (from areas) where the Israeli army has withdrawn, and civilians, regardless of gender, age, or health, are being targeted, what more does the international community expect?”

He stressed that neither the Palestinians, Türkiye, nor other countries seeking justice would accept Israel's efforts to subjugate and expel the Palestinian people from their lands.

"We are faced with a choice: either we will stand for justice and humanity, or we will all pay the price for the problems caused by oppression," Fidan said.

Stating that protests are gaining strength in the countries that support Israel, Fidan urged swift action to avert escalation, adding that the bloodshed in Gaza is not only the blood of Palestinians and that humanity is being tested.

Fidan said that Ankara will continue to stand by the Palestinian people "under all circumstances".

Israel has waged an unrelenting offensive on the Palestinian enclave since a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7 which killed some 1,200 people.

More than 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and thousands injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling siege on the seaside enclave, leaving most of its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

- Turkish-Indonesian ties

Fidan said preparations for the first meeting of the Türkiye-Indonesia High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council were also discussed.

He said they reached agreements on enhancing economic and trade relations, renewable energy, and halal food, aiming to reach the $10 billion trade target set by the two nations' leaders.

He also expressed the desire for growing defense industry cooperation and Turkish firms' involvement in the modernization of the Indonesian military.

Discussions also included reviewing documents for future cooperation, particularly in counterterrorism efforts against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) – a group whose 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye was roundly defeated – and other terrorist groups.

Fidan also announced the decision to establish a 2+2 mechanism involving defense and foreign ministers from both countries to strengthen bilateral ties.