Netanyahu pursues 'despicable genocide campaign' against Palestine: Turkish foreign minister

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday decried Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government's attacks against Palestine.

"Netanyahu’s fanatic government, encouraged by impunity granted to him, pursues despicable genocide campaign against our Palestinian brothers and sisters," Fidan said at the Foreign Ministers' Annual Coordination Meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in New York.

This past year has been a "truly dark time" for Islamic world due to the "human tragedy" in Palestine, he said.

Stressing that Israel expanded its "aggression" first to West Bank and East Jerusalem and now to Lebanon, the minister said: "It is imperative that necessary punitive and coercive measures be taken against Israel’s genocidal policies which are in complete defiance of international law."

Last May, Türkiye has imposed full trade restrictions on Israel, Fidan reminded the ministers, adding Ankara also submitted the declaration of intervention in the lawsuit before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), initiated by South Africa.

"Intervening to the ICJ case would enable the OIC Member States to remain in the forefront of legal efforts to seek justice on the Palestinian issue.

"We, therefore, strongly encourage others to join in," he added.

The minister also emphasized that the "ultimate goal" is the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine for regional peace and security. "Recognition of Palestinian statehood is a crucial step to this end".

"We congratulate Palestine for having taken its seat among member states at the United Nations General Assembly. However, it is important that Palestine's full membership to the UN takes place without further delay," he added.