Turkish foreign minister urges global Muslim unity in support of Palestinians

By Mehmet Sah Yilmaz

ANKARA / BANJUL, Gambia (AA) — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday said resistance against Israeli occupation is no longer a war between Israel and Palestine but a struggle between oppressors and the oppressed worldwide, according to diplomatic sources.

Speaking at the 15th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Banjul, the capital of Gambia, Fidan stressed that none of the members had the right to resolve their differences over the "blood of the Palestinians."

Pointing out that Israel has escaped accountability, Fidan said it is the duty of the entire global Muslim community to close ranks to defend Palestinians.

He underlined that Muslim countries must prove their unity and that they could achieve results through diplomatic and, when needed, coercive means.

Fidan called attention to historical divisions among Muslim states and said these must not be repeated to sacrifice the Palestinian cause to regional rivalries.

The only winner in such a situation would be Israel and its supporters, he warned.

Fidan urged all Muslim countries to put pressure on Israel to end its oppression of Palestinians and push for a two-state solution, using all means to do so and show that violating international law comes with consequences.

He stressed that the people of Muslim countries expect concrete results from the summit in Banjul, adding that the recognition of Palestine by more countries would deal a significant blow to Israel.

Fidan underlined that OIC countries must make all efforts to secure Palestine's full membership to the UN.

The 15th summit of the OIC started on Saturday in the West African city.

World leaders from the 57 member countries of the OIC and beyond are expected to attend, said the OIC in a statement ahead of the summit. Representing Türkiye at the event is Hakan Fidan, the country's foreign minister.

The summit, taking place through Sunday with the central theme "Enhancing unity and solidarity through dialogue for sustainable development," will address global issues, notably the current situation in Palestine and the ongoing Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 34,000 people.

During the summit, three key documents — a draft Palestinian resolution, draft Banjul statement, and the draft final document — will be presented to the Council of Foreign Ministers and subsequently to the summit for discussion.

Israel has killed more than 34,600 Palestinians since an Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 250 hostages taken.

The conflict 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.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in January issued an interim ruling that ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz