Turkish president welcomes resolution on denuclearization conference due to Israel's nuclear weapons

Türkiye's president has welcomed on Sunday a resolution on denuclearization conference in the region due to Israel's nuclear weapons.

Commenting on the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit Resolution, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said,"For the first time, we are proposing a 'Denuclearization Conference' in the region due to Israel's nuclear weapons."

The resolution "condemned the hateful, extremist and racist acts and statements made by ministers in the Israeli occupation government, including the threat by one of the ministers to use nuclear weapons against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, being a serious threat to global peace and security, which requires supporting the conference to establish a zone free of nuclear weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, held within the framework of the United Nations and its objectives to confront this threat."

The issue of denuclearization is very significant in terms of revealing which actors are supporting Israel, Erdoğan told reporters aboard the presidential plane on his way back from the Saudi capital Riyadh, where he attended the Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit.

"Now, it is of great importance that both the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League came together and took this step (resolution) because this is the first time in the history of the two organizations that such a meeting took place," he added.

Underlining the importance of the "break the siege" article of resolution for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, he said it required the immediate entry of Arab, Islamic, and international humanitarian aid convoys containing food, medicine, and fuel into the Gaza Strip.

As there are fuel, water, and food shortages, Erdoğan said the most important country that needs to be involved is the US, which has an impact on Israel.

"Gaza is, first of all, the land of the Palestinian people. The US needs to accept this. If (US President Joe) Biden has the approach of saying 'No, this is the land of the occupying settlers or Israel, rather than the land of the Palestinian people', we can't reach an agreement," he added.

Regarding French President Emmanuel Macron's approach, Erdoğan said Macron first supported Israel fully and visited there, but now has changed his rhetoric.

Last Sunday, Minister for Heritage Amihai Eliyahu, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, told Israeli media that dropping a "nuclear bomb" on the Gaza Strip was "an option."

Tough Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the statement and, according to media reports, suspended him from Cabinet meetings until further notice, Eliyahu's statement caused an international uproar because it was seen as admitting Tel Aviv possesses nuclear weapons and can use them against any country.

Tensions have been high across the West Bank since the fighting broke out on Oct. 7 between Palestinian groups and Israel in Gaza.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, including hospitals, residences, and houses of worship.

At least 11,100 Palestinians have been killed, including 8,000 children and women.

The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,200, according to official figures.