The Turkish deputy foreign minister on Monday called for the appointment of a UN special envoy to combat Islamophobia, stressing the urgent need to address rising hate speech and discrimination against Muslims.
"Hatred against Islam, racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and far-right hate speech are rising. Hardly a day goes by without hostility against and violations of fundamental rights of Muslims, including attacks on their lives, mosques, and the Holy Quran," Mehmet Kemal Bozay said in an address to a high-level segment of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
"UN resolutions defining burning of holy books as religious hatred are significant, but more steps are needed. A UN special envoy to combat Islamophobia should soon be appointed," Bozay urged.
Bozay also called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and urged accountability for crimes against Palestinians.
"The world is going through unprecedented changes. The international system's credibility is waning fast," he said.
Decrying ongoing atrocities and violations of international law, he said: "Effective multilateralism in action is needed more than ever."
He welcomed the current ceasefire in Gaza but stressed that it must become permanent to ensure long-term de-escalation.
"The catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza necessitates urgent humanitarian aid for Palestinians," he said, reaffirming Türkiye's continued support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and its humanitarian efforts in the region.
Highlighting Türkiye joining the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, Bozay said Ankara is closely monitoring the proceedings. "We hope that the court will render a judgment to put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people," he stated.
Speaking out against US President Donald Trump's Gaza relocation plan, he said: "Statements urging the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza are unacceptable and against international law."
Bozay also emphasized Türkiye's stance on Syria, saying that stability in the country requires eliminating terrorist groups such as ISIS (Daesh) and the YPG/PKK, which also uses the name SDF.
"Syria's stability and unity require eradicating terrorism. There is no place for Daesh (ISIS) or the (terrorist groups) PKK/YPG/SDF in Syria's future," he asserted. "The SDF is not a legitimate representative of Syrian Kurds and must be dissolved. The illegal and seditious presence of this terrorist organization in Syria's northeast and its exploitation of Syria's hydrocarbon resources must end. Daesh cannot be allowed to resurge."
"So-called 'detention camps' (for ISIS members) cannot remain under the control of a terrorist organization (the PKK/YPG). The new administration declares its readiness to manage these camps," he said.
He also underlined that Syrians now have a "historic opportunity" to rebuild Syria, saying Türkiye is "firmly committed" to ensuring a stable, unified, and secure Syria where transitional justice is served.
Addressing the long-standing Cyprus issue, Bozay called for an end to "systematic violations" of Turkish Cypriots' rights. He also criticized Greece's mistreatment of the Turkish minority living in its Western Thrace region and the Dodecanese, urging the council to ensure their rights are respected.
He touched on global conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, peace efforts in the Southern Caucasus, and the crisis in Sudan, while also advocating for an inclusive and peaceful Afghanistan. He also underscored Türkiye's commitment to addressing the rights of Uyghur Turks and the Rohingya people.
