Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to building a fairer and freer world, saying the country is making every effort to secure peaceful solutions to conflicts stretching from Palestine and Yemen to Sudan and Ukraine.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the TRT World Forum 2026 in Istanbul on Friday, Erdoğan also rejected what he described as attempts to discredit and pressure Türkiye through malicious perception campaigns.

“I would like to make it clear that we will not give in to perception operations that maliciously seek to defame and corner Türkiye,” he said. “As Türkiye, we have fully, not partially, devoted ourselves to building a fairer and freer world. We are doing our utmost for a peaceful resolution of the wars, crises and tragedies unfolding along the line from Palestine to Yemen, and Sudan to Ukraine.”

Addressing the forum, held under the theme “A Centerless World: Who Leads When Rules Become Invalid?”, Erdoğan warned that the international system was facing a deep structural crisis, with global institutions increasingly unable to address conflicts and humanitarian emergencies.

He said the rules and principles underpinning the international order were being disregarded, while growing competition among global powers was weakening the rules-based system.

“Yesterday’s prescriptions cannot cure today’s problems,” Erdoğan said, arguing that the international system established by the major powers 81 years ago was no longer capable of addressing today's challenges.

He described the system as having effectively “raised the flag of bankruptcy,” pointing to the millions of people suffering from wars, instability, hunger and poverty around the world.

The Turkish president placed particular emphasis on the situation in Gaza, describing the Israeli assault on the Palestinian territory as one of the gravest humanitarian catastrophes of modern times.

He said Palestinians were still struggling to survive amid widespread destruction, while the entry of humanitarian aid remained restricted.

Erdoğan also condemned attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, warning that efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their ancestral lands were becoming increasingly brazen amid international indifference.

He criticised international institutions for failing to fulfil their responsibility to protect civilians and uphold peace and security, comparing their inaction over Gaza to their failures during the 1994 Rwanda genocide and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

Erdoğan further said the Gaza Peace Agreement, which Türkiye had helped broker, was not being implemented, stressing that respect for commitments was essential to international relations.

He also criticised what he described as double standards in the international response to Israeli actions, insisting that Türkiye would continue to speak out against injustice despite pressure.

The TRT World Forum, being held in Istanbul on Nov. 6-7, marks its 10th edition. According to Erdoğan, nearly 150 speakers from 43 countries are taking part in this year's programme.

The two-day event brings together politicians, diplomats, academics, journalists and civil society representatives to discuss international relations, regional conflicts, economic challenges, artificial intelligence and the changing global order.

Erdoğan said he hoped the discussions and proposals emerging from the forum would contribute to peace, stability and security worldwide, particularly in regions affected by conflict and humanitarian crises. (ILKHA)