Double standards of some major powers revealed at Antalya Diplomacy Forum: Turkish foreign minister

By Zehra Nur Duz and Seda Sevencan

ANKARA (AA) – Double standards of some international major powers on different issues, as well as their disregard for international law were exposed by panelists at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), the Turkish foreign minister said on Sunday.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the ADF, which was held in southern Türkiye this weekend, Hakan Fidan said there are serious efforts underway to reach a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Türkiye supports views that established practices of the international community regarding Gaza should now be set aside in favor of taking unilateral action, Fidan noted.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed 30,410 people and injured 71,700 others with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. 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 also said a trip to the US is planned for next week at the invitation of Secretary of State Antony Blinken to attend a strategic mechanism meeting.