Erdoğan calls Gaza situation ‘genocide’ at UN General Assembly

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, calling the ongoing crisis more than just a war.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Erdoğan urged world leaders to take immediate action to halt the violence, describing the situation as a “humanitarian catastrophe unprecedented in history.”

“Before our eyes, genocide has been ongoing in Gaza for more than 700 days,” Erdoğan said. “In the past 23 months, a child has been killed every hour. These are not just numbers; each represents an innocent life.”

Erdoğan added that children are being dismembered while unconscious, and emphasized that the violence is not a conflict between two sides but a case of “unilateral aggression, genocide, and mass killing.”

The Turkish president expressed gratitude to countries that recognize Palestine and called on others to act swiftly. Noting that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was absent from New York, Erdoğan said Turkey is “standing as the voice of the Palestinian people whose voices are not being heard.”

He demanded an immediate ceasefire, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and accountability for Israel’s actions. Erdoğan warned that the conflict’s impact extends beyond Gaza and the West Bank to Syria, Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, and Qatar, posing a significant threat to regional stability.

“Humanity must stand with the oppressed Palestinians,” Erdoğan said. “Israel’s attacks have destroyed fundamental human rights, including those of women, children, and freedom of expression.”

He concluded by asking, “Can there be peace in a world where children die from lack of food and medicine? Humanity has never witnessed such brutality before.”