President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech during the AK Party's Eid al-Adha greeting program, organized via videoconference with the party's provincial organizations from 81 cities.
Erdoğan on Monday called for international action to put an end to Israel's "bloodthirstiness" and systematic oppression of Palestinians.
Speaking to members of Türkiye's Justice and Development (AK) Party via videoconference on the occasion of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, Erdoğan said the Palestinian people, who have been subjected to occupation and systematic massacre for 76 years, are once again spending Eid in sadness, longing for peace.
Here are the highlights from President Erdoğan's speech:
"We are observing Eid al-Adha during a time when massacres are taking place in the Palestinian territories. For 76 years, the Palestinian people have been subjected to occupation, oppression, and systematic massacres, experiencing yet another somber holiday, and longing for peace.
The pain of our brothers and sisters martyred by genocidal Israel breaks all of our hearts. The world must take action against Israel's bloodthirstiness and immediately put an end to the Gaza massacres that we witness daily. We continually point a finger at the necessity of stopping Gaza butcher Netanyahu.
We clearly expressed this to our counterparts in Italy at the G7 summit and have mobilized our resources to hold the perpetrators of genocide accountable. We have completely halted our trade dealings to pressure the Israeli government into a ceasefire. Our humanitarian aid continues. We are working to increase the number of countries recognizing the State of Palestine.
We do not remain silent about the other tragedies in the Islamic world, including Gaza. We continue our efforts to stop the fraternal conflict in Sudan. We rush to the aid of the oppressed. God willing, we will continue to stand tall and be the voice of the oppressed. Eid is about solidarity and embracing one another.
We are not staying silent about the tragedies that are occurring in other corners of the Islamic world, as well as Gaza. Our efforts continue to put an end to the fraternal conflict in Sudan that has been ongoing for over a year. From Libya to Somalia, from Afghanistan to Yemen, wherever there is trouble, instability, or tragedy, we rush to the aid of the oppressed without discrimination."
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
More than 37,300 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and more than 85,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Over eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
