Gaza resonates in MIKTA meeting as group’s parliament speakers meet in Indonesia

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Indonesia hosted parliament speakers from fellow nations in a meeting on Monday, where they discussed the ongoing war in Gaza along with several other topics.

The meeting was held for the ninth time this year with the member states of MIKTA, an intercontinental informal consultation and coordination platform established in 2013, which named after the initials of member countries: Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Australia.

In addition to official meetings, the top lawmakers met Indonesian President Joko Widodo. They discussed MIKTA’s “efforts to become a bridge to stop” the violence that Israel has besieged on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, Widodo said on the social media platform X.

This year’s theme for the MIKTA meeting was Global Governance Under the Focus: How Should the Parliament Act?

Addressing the meeting, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus emphasized the need to end the war in Gaza.

“If oppression against Palestinians cannot be ended … if this war spreads to neighboring countries, I am afraid that it will ignite a global conflict,” he warned.

Kurtulmus said that the bombardment of Gaza, which resulted in the killing of thousands of children, including newborns, shows “humanity is dead.”

Kurtulmus also met his Indonesian counterpart, Puan Maharani, on the sidelines of the MIKA meeting. Maharani said that the Turkish side “agrees on the importance of middle power countries voicing a cease-fire in Palestine so that there are no more civilian victims.”

“Both countries consistently fight for a resolution to the Palestinian conflict,” Maharani said on X after meeting Kurtulmus.

As influential actors in their regions, the five countries consistently pursue similar and constructive approaches for both regional and global peace and stability while contributing significantly to international issues.

The structure aims to foster closer collaboration and coordination among member countries with the Group of 20 and other leading international organizations, and enhance relations between the participating nations.