UPDATE - Türkiye to call emergency OIC meeting over Israel’s plan to fully occupy Gaza

ADDS MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER & BACKGROUND; REVISES DECK

By Gizem Nisa Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye will convene an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address Israel’s plan to fully occupy Gaza, said the nation’s foreign minister on Saturday.

"As chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers, we have decided to call the OIC to a meeting," Hakan Fidan told reporters at a joint press conference in Egypt alongside Badr Abdelatty, the Egyptian foreign minister.

Fidan also condemned Israel’s intentions, saying: "We completely reject (Israel’s) intention to fully occupy Gaza; this plan is a new phase of Israel’s expansionist and genocidal policy."

He added: "Türkiye and Egypt will continue to stand against such scenarios."

Highlighting Türkiye’s humanitarian efforts, Fidan also said: "To date we have sent approximately 102,000 tons of humanitarian aid for our brothers in Gaza. We thank Egypt for its close cooperation in delivering the aid."

Israel has faced mounting outrage for its genocide in Gaza, where it has killed more than 61,000 people since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and led to deaths by hunger and starvation.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Reaffirming Ankara’s position on Palestinian statehood, Fidan also said: "Palestine belongs to the Palestinians. Any effort aimed at expelling Palestinians from their own lands is null and void and is doomed to fail."

"We will defend international law and humanitarian values in the strongest way against Israel’s policies of genocide," he added.