At a press conference held in Istanbul, representatives from numerous international NGOs unveiled the Gaza-Istanbul Declaration, a comprehensive statement condemning Israeli genocidal aggression in Gaza and across the region.

Although the intensity of the event delayed its unveiling, the declaration was finally shared with the public at a press conference held at the Turkish Youth Foundation (TÜGVA) Headquarters. Attended by dozens of representatives from NGOs around the world, the event marked a significant moment in the ongoing struggle for Palestinian rights and international justice.

Key figures at the press conference included Eyüp Akbal, Secretary General of the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (UNIW), and İsmail Tuğrul, President of the Voluntary Organizations Foundation of Türkiye (TGTV). The event kicked off with a slide show presentation about the fair and a video message from Khaled Mashal, Head of the Hamas Political Bureau. In his opening remarks, Akbal evaluated the fair's achievements and expressed gratitude to the NGOs and press organizations that supported the event.

TGTV President İsmail Tuğrul read the Gaza Istanbul Declaration on behalf of the participating organizations. The declaration paints a stark picture of the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza, describing them as genocide and highlighting the severe humanitarian crisis that has resulted in nearly 50,000 deaths, over 100,000 injuries, and massive displacement.

The declaration calls for immediate action to open aid gates and end arbitrary practices that hinder the flow of humanitarian assistance. It condemns Israel's expansionist policies, which have extended beyond Gaza to affect countries like Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran, and criticizes the international community's inaction, which it claims has exacerbated the devastation in Gaza and the region.

Furthermore, the declaration underscores the failure of the current international system, particularly the UN, due to the abuse of power by veto-wielding nations. It echoes President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's call for a more equitable world order, emphasizing that the slogan "The World is Greater than Five" is gaining traction as an alternative to the existing global system dominated by imperial powers.

The declaration also emphasizes the need for a united stance among countries dissatisfied with the current system and calls for stronger political, economic, and military support for Palestine. It suggests the formation of a Regional Peace Force under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to safeguard Palestinian rights and interests.

In addition, the declaration highlights the necessity of reforming the International Criminal Court to make it more independent and effective in prosecuting war crimes and genocide. It urges collaboration among academics, jurists, and NGOs worldwide to establish a fair international legal system.

The declaration concludes with a commitment from the NGOs to continue their efforts to end global persecution and a strong condemnation of Israel's policies and actions in Gaza and Palestine. It calls on the international community to recognize and support the need for a new world order based on justice and equality.

The Gaza Istanbul Declaration is a powerful call to action, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and advocating for a fairer, more just international system. As the declaration is shared with the world, it serves as a reminder of the enduring struggle for justice and the vital role of global solidarity in achieving it.

The full text of the declaration is as follows:

                                                             GAZA ISTANBUL DECLARATION

 “On October 7, 2023, the Israeli genocide, which started in Gaza and spread across the region and has been going on for more than a year, has not only deeply wounded the conscience of humanity, but has also destroyed all international legal and moral norms produced in the last century.

In this process, nearly 50,000 innocent civilians have been killed, more than 100,000 have been injured and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes and become refugees in their own homelands. While most of Gaza has been razed to the ground, the blockade has closed all aid gates, making it impossible to meet even the most basic humanitarian needs. Aid gates must be opened immediately to meet humanitarian needs and arbitrary practices preventing the flow of aid must be ended.

Israel's inhumane attacks have gone beyond the borders of Gaza and turned into an immoral expansionism targeting countries in the region such as Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran. While Gaza's unyielding will, faith and resistance has become a symbol of human dignity all over the world, it has also been a motivation that has given hope to the countries in the region, which are the targets of the expansionist Zionist ambitions of the Terrorist State of Israel.

While Israel's unrestrained Zionist ideology fuels instability in the region, the struggle for the protection of Palestinian rights within the framework of international law remains inconclusive due to the conflict of interests of international powers. Moreover, the inaction of the international community has further deepened the devastation in Gaza and the region, threatening world peace.

The current international system is in serious decline in terms of security and legitimacy. One of the main reasons for this situation is the unjust abuse of the UN system by the veto-wielding powers. The imperial approaches of the US and the West, which dominate the international system, are blocking the existing system. While many states are uncomfortable with this situation, the need for an alternative system is increasing day by day.

The call of the President of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, that "The World is Greater than Five" is increasingly gaining value not only in Gaza, but also as an important alternative exit and suggestion for solving all global problems. In this context, states that are uncomfortable with the current system and in search of a fairer world should act together and strengthen efforts to create a new center of power. The Terror State Israel, which has declared the UN Secretary-General an undesirable and banned man in his country, must be immediately expelled from the UN, of which it is a member. All countries that are uncomfortable with Israel, which does not recognize UN resolutions and continues its massacres in the region and has become a threat to world peace, should cut off or minimize their relations with Israel. Trade in all instruments of war with the Terror State Israel should be banned.

It is of utmost importance to strengthen Palestine, to support it politically, economically and militarily in order to make it stronger in the international arena, and to establish a free and independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital. For this reason, we, the NGOs, demand a new mechanism that can stand on its own feet politically, economically and militarily in addition to humanitarian aid to Palestine. For this purpose, if necessary, Turkey should take the lead in establishing a Regional Peace Force within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has so far failed to provide sufficient support to the Palestinian cause and to develop a common policy in line with the interests of the member states. The founding purpose of the Organization is to strengthen cooperation and solidarity among member states and to protect the rights and interests of the Islamic world. In this context, it has become inevitable to make the Organization more effective in the liberation of Jerusalem from Zionist occupation and the liberation of Palestine.

The need for reforms to make the International Criminal Court more independent and effective in prosecuting perpetrators of massacres and genocide in the world can no longer be ignored. In this sense, the efforts of Turkish jurists should be supported and should be transformed into a more active global legal front with the support of jurists from other countries.

Academics, jurists and non-governmental organizations working in the field of international law in all countries, especially in Turkey, should cooperate and make joint efforts for an international legal system where "the just is strong, not the strong is right". Alternative platforms to be formed by countries like Turkey, which is a regional power, should effectively continue their political efforts for a more just world order in the international arena.

It is clear that the unjust international system in its current form is unsustainable and needs a radical change. Given these inadequacies, all institutions and organizations that have a say in this matter should take the initiative for a new world order in order to establish a new and fairer international system for world peace.

In order for this to happen, we, as the NGOs of the Islamic World, declare that we are ready to show all our efforts and that we are ready to support all kinds of academic, political, legal, cultural and strategic formations to be organized for this purpose.

We, as Non-Governmental Organizations, promise that we will continue our efforts until the persecution ends all over the world and we strongly condemn the atrocities and expansionist policies of the Terror State Israel since its establishment and what it has inflicted on the people of Gaza and Palestine in the last year, and on this occasion, we declare our Gaza-Istanbul Declaration to the whole world and present it to the conscience of humanity.  Globalizing justice is our debt to humanity" (ILKHA)