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By Gozde Bayar
ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye aims to ensure peace in its region and beyond through vigorous diplomacy based on people and human values, the country’s president said on Thursday.
“Despite all hurdles, we are working to build an effective, and inclusive international system to ensure peace, security, stability, and prosperity,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana.
Erdogan added that the ruins covering the Gaza Strip, under which the bodies of over 16,000 innocent children lie, the victims of a nearly nine-month-old Israeli offensive, are also the wreckage of the international system which has lost its legitimacy as it failed to stop the slaughter.
Israel has to be stopped, and forced to accept a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, he said, urging countries to increase pressure on the Israeli administration.
Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian group Hamas.
More than 38,000 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 87,400 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Nearly nine months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
- Türkiye ready to strengthen dialogue with SCO
Regarding counterterrorism efforts, Erdogan said Türkiye knows “the bloody face of terrorism” due to its 40-year experience of fighting against terrorists.
"In this context, we are ready to further strengthen our dialogue with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” he said.
In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.
Noting that international migration movements triggered by regional conflicts, political instability, and poverty have become one of the main vulnerabilities, he said Türkiye hosts over 4 million displaced people, including Syrians under temporary protection.
The international community should act with a sense of responsibility, he stressed, adding that humanitarian aid is an important part of that.
As Türkiye gained the dialogue partnership status, Erdogan said the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has become one of the important dialogue channels with Asia.
"We will continue to contribute to the Organization's goal of multilateralism in Asia and continue our cooperation in many areas, especially security, energy and connectivity," he said.