Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has praised countries that have decided to recognise the State of Palestine, saying such steps are "critical milestones" for the two-state solution.
Speaking at a UN conference on Palestine in New York on September 22, Erdogan said he hoped recognition would "accelerate the implementation of a two-state solution."
He called the decisions by several UN Security Council members to recognise Palestine "quite important, a historic decision."
Erdogan strongly criticised Israel’s war in Gaza.
"The massacre in Gaza continues with all its violence, and no one in touch with their conscience can remain silent in the face of such genocide," he said.
"It is also a fact that today the Palestinian cause has become a global issue."
He accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of seeking to make Palestinian statehood impossible.
"The aim of Netanyahu’s government is to make the establishment of a Palestinian state impossible, to forcibly displace Palestinians as much as possible," Erdogan said.
Referring to Israel’s history, he added: "Netanyahu’s government, from a society once victimised by the Holocaust, now commits genocide against neighbours it has shared land and water with for millennia."
"The two-state solution summit, jointly hosted by France and Saudi Arabia at the UN, was boycotted by Israel and the US. But the event proved to be a significant diplomatic success for the Palestinians, as it culminated in France recognising a Palestinian state and others pledging to follow suit," said TRT World’s Baba Umar, reporting from the United Nations.
"The growing international consensus was further underscored by supportive statements from other world leaders present at the event."
Calls for urgent action
Erdogan urged the international community to halt Israel’s illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and its "fait accompli" actions in East Jerusalem.
"The clear goal of Israel's deepening occupation and annexation policies is to kill the vision of a two-state solution and exile Palestinians; this can never be allowed," he said.
He also demanded immediate measures.
"It is now necessary to declare a ceasefire in Gaza, ensure the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid, and for Israel to withdraw its forces," Erdogan said.
