Türkiye says Israeli atrocities must be stopped to prevent violence from escalating across region

ANKARA / ISTANBUL

Türkiye on Thursday urged the international community to immediately stop Israeli atrocities in order to bring peace to the region.

“Israel’s actions must be halted immediately to prevent violence from escalating across the region,” said an official statement issued following the meeting of the Turkish National Security Council.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

Nearly 39,200 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 90,400 injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

The Turkish National Security Council also said that clearing Syrian territories from separatist terrorism will primarily secure Syria’s interests and survival, referring to PKK/YPG terrorist group’s activities.

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 more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

Cyprus, Ukraine issues, relations with African countries

The council also reaffirmed a two-state solution for Cyprus, advocating sovereign equality for Turkish Cypriots and international recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

“Türkiye’s Cyprus Peace Operation ensures 50 years of peace and security on island, affirming its legitimacy,” the National Security Council said.

The island of Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the EU in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.

The National Security Council said: “Türkiye will prioritize dialogue in Aegean and Mediterranean regions and will not allow its constructive approach to be exploited.”

It also urged more multilateral efforts for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, stressing the need to prevent further escalation or spread of conflict.

At the meeting, relations developed with a long-term approach between Türkiye and African countries, especially Somalia, Libya, Sudan and Niger, were also evaluated.

• Gaza
• Israeli atrocities
• Turkish National Security Council