UN resolution to reconsider Palestine’s membership bid 'significant milestone': Türkiye

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Türkiye on Monday hailed the UN General Assembly’s resolution that allows Palestine more rights and reconsiders its membership bid, calling it "a significant milestone."

"The adoption of this resolution not only marks a significant milestone in Palestine's pursuit of statehood but also highlights the growing disparity between the Security Council and the collective voice of the international community," Ahmet Yildiz, Türkiye’s envoy to the UN, told the General Assembly.

Stating that the adoption of the resolution on last Friday revealed the "collective stance of the international community," Yildiz said Türkiye is "proud to have co-sponsored this historic decision."

Emphasizing the ongoing dire situation in Gaza and the West Bank, Yildiz said the people of Palestine "are brutally targeted, with total disregard of international law."

He further expressed deep worry over the latest "escalations in Rafah as well as the wider region" and stressed that the "discovery of mass graves in Gaza underscores the severity of the situation."

"Gazans are facing catastrophic levels of hunger. UNRWA, the backbone of the humanitarian operations in Gaza, is under political and physical attack. Disrupting UNRWA's crucial work would not only exacerbate suffering but also destabilize the entire region," he said.

Noting grave concern over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Yildiz said: "The inability to halt the bloodshed and man-made famine in Gaza is deplorable and shameful."

He emphasized the international community's clear demands for an immediate ceasefire, as well as unimpeded humanitarian aid, and an end to forced displacement.

Underscoring the blatant disregard for "International Court of Justice's provisional measures, Security Council Resolutions on humanitarian aid, and fundamental principles of international law," Yildiz said: "The gravest violations of the UN Charter is taking place before our eyes in Gaza. This has been coupled with attempts to insult the UN and its Charter under this roof."

He further stressed the importance of a two-state solution in preventing the recurrence of violence, advocating for Palestine's admission as a full member of the UN.

"Türkiye supports the application of Palestine for its admission as a full member of the United Nations," Yildiz said, emphasizing that such a step would enable Palestinians to achieve their aspirations for statehood, sovereignty, and independence.

Yildiz urged the Security Council "to take concrete steps toward realizing a political solution based on the two-state vision and pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine."