By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan
GENEVA (AA) - The Istanbul Bar Association held discussions Friday with UN officials in Geneva concerning war crimes by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
The delegation, consisting of Turkish legal experts, including Cuneyt Yuksel, chairman of the Justice Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and AK Party Istanbul Deputy, Ahmet Sorgun, AK Party Konya Deputy of the 27th Term, Yasin Samli, president of Istanbul Bar Association No. 2 and a delegation of 15 legal experts met with Nada el-Nashif, deputy high commissioner for Human Rights at the UN.
After the meeting, Yuksel made a statement at the UN Geneva Office that expressed the group’s anger in the face of severe violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws in Gaza.
"The UN system and international law, established to protect the fundamental rights and dignity of all individuals without discrimination, should be implemented in Gaza as well," he said.
"Unfortunately, for more than a month, we have witnessed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed against the Palestinian people. Over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed, with nearly 70% being women and children. More than 100 UN personnel have been killed. The killing of innocent children and babies continues to deeply disturb our conscience," he said.
Yuksel said the delegation conducted meetings with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to express concerns and share elements pointing to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
"We will also share evidence and documents with them soon. We support the independent work of the Human Rights High Commissioner's Office in monitoring, reporting, and speaking out against violations targeting the rights of the Palestinian people," he added.
The Istanbul Bar Association submitted evidence Thursday to the International Criminal Court (ICC) through a delegation of Turkish legal experts, including photos and videos from Anadolu, proving Israel's war crimes in Gaza.