UPDATE - Türkiye urges West to ‘distance itself from Israeli war crimes’

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER

By Esra Tekin and Emre Basaran

ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday called on the West to separate itself from Israeli "war crimes."

"The Western world should distance itself from Israel's war crimes. Any conditional or unconditional support to Israel is a blank check for the killing of more Palestinians," Fidan told the International Strategic Communication (Stratcom) Summit in Istanbul.

"History will not forget the intolerance to the Palestinian flag and calls for peace in today's Europe, where attacks on the holy Quran are supposedly accepted as freedom of expression," he added.

The genuine peace is only possible with justice, international cooperation, and truth, the Turkish foreign minister stressed.

- Disinformation about Gaza

Fidan said disinformation that had paved the for interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq and plunged the region into chaos is now surfacing in Gaza.

He said there are two types of disinformation regarding "war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza and the West Bank" after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

"The first is the biased attitude of many Western media outlets that ignore the human tragedy suffered by the Palestinians. The other is the institutionalized disinformation, which is not limited to the Oct. 7 events, that Israel is trying to convince the whole world by hiding the facts."

Fidan further said that no one should legitimize "Israel's merciless killing of people in Gaza" as a right to self-defense.

"We should not allow Israel to cover one war crime with another. Therefore, we must reach a permanent solution through new discourses and methods," he asserted.

Fidan said that Tel Aviv's aim is to render the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict ineffective with its actions in Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza.

He added: "It is widely accepted that the only viable solution to the Israel-Palestine issue is an independent, sovereign, and geographically integrated Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital."

Fidan reiterated that Türkiye will never shy away from taking on its responsibilities and standing by Palestinians in their cause.

​​​​​- Türkiye's struggle against terrorism

Due to technological progress, Fidan underscored that the rivalry among nations has transcended traditional methods. He said that the rise of disinformation and cyber attacks as threats underscores how individuals can jeopardize states within the framework of the international order.

Hakan Fidan also said that Türkiye has been taking measures against hybrid threats during this era, adding that hybrid threats and terrorism have merged.

"The methods of the past are no longer able to meet the needs of combating terrorism. In this context, Türkiye has enhanced its efforts," he added.

Fidan also said that Türkiye has sometimes found itself alone, and at times, Türkiye has seen its friends and allies on the same side as terrorist organizations in this matter.

"We have repeatedly emphasized that the support given to PKK/YPG under the guise of combating Daesh is wrong," he said.

Fidan further said that Türkiye will take every step and precaution necessary in this matter, which poses a vital threat to itself.

"As you all know, we are a country that consistently takes a leading role in discourse and policies on migration management. Despite this, we observe that some Western countries expect us to make more efforts to combat irregular migration.

"I must openly ask these countries the following question: Wouldn't it have been easier for us to address the issue of irregular migration if you had supported your ally Turkey instead of a terrorist organization?" he said.

Fidan also reiterated Türkiye's will to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia remains intact if the conditions are met.