Erdogan condemns US‑Israel plans for Gaza relocation
- Gaza belongs to Gazans and Palestine belongs to Palestinians, - stated the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Friday, reaffirming Ankara's opposition to any potential relocation of residents from the Palestinian enclave.
What you need to know
- Erdogan opposes the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have discussed the possibility of relocating Palestinians during the rebuilding of Gaza.
- Erdogan emphasised that the only solution to the Middle East conflict is the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
The US and Israel's plans
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated after an April meeting with US President Donald Trump that they discussed his "bold vision" of relocating Palestinians during the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. The American leader had previously announced a plan for the US to take control of the Gaza Strip, evacuate the Palestinians, and establish a "Middle Eastern Riviera" there.
- Any proposal that would expel Palestinians from the lands they have lived in for thousands of years, no matter how it is introduced, has no value in our view - declared the Turkish president on Friday.
Contrary to the expectations of the United States and Israel regarding the evacuation of Palestinians from Gaza, "such plans will never be approved by us" - added Erdogan.
Erdogan on the "two-state solution"
- The only way to resolve the problem in the Middle East is to endorse a two-state formula that pledges a sovereign State of Palestine based on 1967 borders - noted Erdogan on Friday.
The Turkish president accused Israel of trying to spread the war to neighbouring countries, such as Syria and Lebanon. - This shows Israel does not want peace or comfort in our region - he assessed.
Erdogan also criticised Muslim countries for not taking effective measures against Israel. - I say this with regret, with a wounded heart – unfortunately, the Islamic world has also failed to fulfill what was expected of it on Gaza - he admitted.
