Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented today on the US refusal to issue visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other Palestinians, which practically prevents their participation in the UN General Assembly. This is happening against the backdrop of the readiness of many countries to recognize Palestine, Turkish state television "TRT Haber" reported, quoted by BTA.
„This US decision is incompatible with the reason for the existence of the UN. We believe that it should be reviewed immediately. The UN exists to discuss global issues and find solutions to them. The absence of Palestine from the UN General Assembly can only please Israel. This is a General Assembly whose agenda and participants have not yet been approved. I wanted to talk about this topic with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, but unfortunately neither of us found the opportunity to do so. I want to hear his opinion too, because the situation (in Gaza – ed. note) did not come suddenly. There are victims in Palestine, as well as those who cry tears of blood as they see what is happening. Steps must be taken to respect the laws and their rights“, Erdogan said, adding that since the start of the war in Gaza, 60,000 people have died and 150,000 have been injured.
Erdogan spoke to journalists on the plane returning from China, where he participated in a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The Turkish president described the country's participation in the SCO as a sign of the importance that Turkey attaches to both the organization and its relations with Asian countries.
“The population of the ten countries that are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization reaches 3.8 billion people, and their economies are approaching $30 trillion“, Erdogan stressed.
He recalled that the organization, established in 1996, plays a key role in resolving regional and global issues.
In this context the Turkish president said that he had once again raised the issue of the situation in Gaza with Chinese leaders.
“China is aware of Turkey's regional importance. That is why it sees Turkey as an important actor. We will continue to develop our relations with China. From the economy to digital technologies and energy. We do not see the world only as East – West. We constantly say that bridges must be built between East and West. In a world where the international system is clogged, normalization can only be achieved through justice“, Erdogan stressed.