Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Palestine during a speech at the Justice and Development (AK) Party's parliamentary group meeting.

“The terror state Israel has been conducting an inhumane genocide in Gaza and the West Bank since October 7,” Erdoğan underscored, and said: “With the unconditional support it has been receiving from the West, Israel, in a very spoiled and reckless manner, has been carrying out a massacre that has already gone down in the history of humanity in shame. Before and after the elections, some relentless accusations have been made by some circles against myself and our party. I regret to say that we have seen that these accusations, these despicable slanders have attracted some circles’ attention and have been used against us. Some people have implicated us, our party, our government and the state of the Republic of Türkiye over such claims that they know very well are nothing but lies.

 “I really would not like to say it and I really do not need to say it but I have to. No one has the caliber or capacity to question my or this sacred cadre’s sensitivity in the Palestinian issue. Our lives have been spent with the Palestinian issue and have found meaning with the Palestinian cause. Unlike others, we did not learn Palestine’s location, the ongoing oppression in Gaza, and the policy of occupation and massacre against our Palestinian brothers and sisters on October 7. We have always carried Palestine like a sacred legacy in our hearts during every stage of our nearly half-century-old political career.”

“We have stood by the Palestinian people during their most trying times”

Further stating that they have stood by the Palestinian people during their most trying times, Erdoğan noted that they have mobilized all their means for Palestine and the innocent people in Gaza, and added: “Hamas is what Kuvayi Milliye (National Forces) was in Türkiye during the National Struggle. We definitely know that saying this will come with a price. We know that it is difficult to cry out justice and facts in such a period. But the whole world should know, understand and comprehend that we will not bow down to your assassination attempts, coup attempts, economic attacks, or perception operations. Even if I am left alone as Tayyip Erdoğan, I will continue to defend the Palestinian issue and be the voice of the Palestinian people as long as Allah lets me live. The have killed 14 thousand children, 14 thousand children! They have already overtaken Hitler. Just to spite those, who turn a blind eye to the killing of 14 thousand innocent children and say ‘Hamas is a terrorist organization’ in an attempt to win Israel’s favor and ingratiate themselves with Israel, we will boldly defend Palestine’s struggle for independence no matter what the conditions and circumstances are.” (ILKHA)