Violence between Israelis and Palestinians is unavoidable in the Middle East unless a two-state solution that ensures a free and independent State of Palestine materializes, Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş, the newly-elected speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, said on October 8.
“This turmoil in the Middle East will not end until the State of Palestine becomes completely independent,” Kurtulmuş declared in a speech in Istanbul, elaborating that any such state must be “well-established with its institutions and organizations.”
“It is now obvious that there is no other way than this two-state solution,” he added.
Besides, Kurtulmuş urged for the adherence to the UN Security Council Resolution 242, which called for Israeli withdrawal from territories it had occupied in the Arab-Israeli War of 1967 in exchange for regional peace.
The Turkish lawmaker, who represents the ruling Justice and Development Party, has erstwhile been known for his tough stance against Israel, alluding to the Jewish state as “Zionist killers” and a “terrorist state.”
Last month, Kurtulmuş met with the head of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) in Ireland, in a meeting regarded as an attempt by the Turkish leadership to forge more normalized ties with Israel. The two countries’ leaders, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Benjamin Netanyahu, met in person for the first time in New York in September.
Hamas, which staged an unexpected deadly incursion into Israel on October 7 in what is being regarded as the largest intensification of hostilities in the region in decades, has repeatedly indicated its objection to other countries hoping to improve ties with Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Ambassador to Türkiye, Irit Lillian, also said on October 8 that it was too early to talk about negotiations between Israel and Hamas amid the ongoing conflict, which Israel has formally declared to be a war.
“Mediation comes at a different point of time,” Lillian said to reporters in Ankara. “Right now, we are unfortunately counting the dead, we are trying to heal the wounded, we don’t even know the number of citizens abducted.”
She continued, “I think it just strengthens our point that Hamas should not have an office or any kind of activity, neither in Türkiye nor anywhere else in the world. There is no place for terrorists to direct or command acts from any country in the world.”
Ankara does not classify Hamas as a terrorist group.
Meanwhile, Erdoğan said during talks with his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, that trying to deal with the conflict between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza via military means would only further worsen people’s suffering and give rise to a “spiral of violence in the region.”
Furthermore, Ankara urged both Israelis and Palestinians to prevent further bloodshed and pledged to increase its diplomatic efforts to restore order in the region.
“Türkiye … is ready for all kinds of mediation, including prisoner exchange, if the parties request it,” Erdoğan posted on X.
He made the statement following a phone conversation with Herzog and discussions with several Arab leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Erdoğan hailed the talks as “very productive,” adding that Ankara would enlarge its diplomatic contact and would “make every effort to end the conflict.”
According to Israeli media reports, Erdoğan had cautioned the Israeli president against indiscriminate attacks against Gaza and enforcing “collective punishment” against all Palestinians.
Additionally, Erdoğan stated that Israel’s own policies were partly responsible for the eruption of violence over the weekend. West Jerusalem’s measures, which include “constantly harassing the Palestinian people, disregarding the safety of their life and property, seizing their homes and lands” only gives rise to conflicts and leads to instability, eventually undermining the security of both Palestinians and Israelis, Erdoğan posited.
Türkiye denounces both assaults on Israeli civilians and “oppression, cruelty, extrajudicial killings, and threats to life and property” of Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli authorities and unlawful settlers, Erdoğan declared. The Turkish leader also lambasted the “disproportionate” destruction of Gaza and attacks on Israeli cities as “completely unacceptable.”
It is not time to “act impulsively,” Erdoğan insisted, calling on Israel to stop its bombing campaign against Gaza and on Palestinians to cease the “harassment of civilian settlements in Israel.” Both sides should act with “reason, coolness, and human conscience,” he elaborated.
Neither Israel nor the Palestinians has publicly reacted to Erdoğan’s offer so far. British tabloid The Sun reported on October 9 that the Gaza-based Hamas militant group was supposedly willing to discuss a potential truce with Israel.
On October 7, Hamas militants violated the border between Gaza and the Israeli territories and briefly overran nearby settlements, apart from launching thousands of missiles at Israel. The attack killed hundreds of Israelis, based on figures by authorities.
The Israeli military retaliated with harsh airstrikes against Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also declared a “complete siege” of the Palestinian exclave on October 9, adding that Israel would cut off electricity, fuel, and food in the area, which has a population of more than two million people.
Meanwhile, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a phone call on October 9 that his country continues to back the “legitimate rights” of Palestinians, Saudi media reported.
The latest conflict intensification in Gaza jeopardizes security and stability in the entire Middle East, the crown prince added, according to the Saudi Gazette.
The kingdom hopes to adopt “proactive efforts” and work with international and regional powers to prevent the clash between Israel and Hamas from spilling over to other parts of the Middle East, bin Salman said, elaborating that his nation is also working toward a “swift end” to the clashes.
The royal further highlighted the significance of humanitarian law and avoiding attacks on civilians, while maintaining that Saudi Arabia supports the Palestinians in their pursuit of a “dignified life … [the] realization of their hopes and aspirations,” as well as a “lasting peace,” as per reports by the Saudi Gazette.
