Erdogan rejects Palestinian relocation, backs two‑state plan
"Gaza belongs to Gazans and Palestine belongs to Palestinians," declared Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, reaffirming Ankara's opposition to the 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 U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the possibility of relocating Palestinians during the rebuilding of Gaza.
- Erdogan emphasized that the only solution to the Middle East conflict is the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
What are the U.S. and Israel's plans?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated after an April discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump that he had introduced his "bold vision," which included relocating Palestinians during the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip. The American leader had previously announced a plan for the U.S. to take control of the Gaza Strip, remove the Palestinians, and build the "Riviera of the Middle East" 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," stated 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 formula"
"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," emphasized Erdogan on Friday.
The Turkish president accused Israel of attempting to spread the war to nearby countries, including Syria and Lebanon. "This shows Israel does not want peace or comfort in our region," he assessed.
Erdogan also criticized Muslim countries for failing to take 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.
