Türkiye views Israel-Palestine dispute as oppressor-oppressed conflict

The long-running dispute between Israel and Palestine is no ordinary conflict but rather a struggle between the oppressors and the oppressed, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has explained.

"The conflict between Israel and Palestine has ceased to be a war and has turned into a struggle of the oppressors and the oppressed," Fidan told a joint news conference with Winston Peters on Friday, his counterpart from New Zealand, in Istanbul.

The conflict evolved into a "struggle between the founders of the international system and the oppressed within this system," he added.

He said Israel has not only been killing Palestinians but also international law.

More than 34,300 Palestinians have been killed and 77,000 others wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023. The death toll from the Hamas incursion stands at 1,200.

The conflict has turned Gaza to ruins, led to mass internal displacement and conditions for famine.

Fidan said there was intensive cooperation between Türkiye and its partners regarding the recognition of Palestine as a state, adding that Ankara will continue its efforts on the issue.

"If we fail to mobilise the international community to take significant steps towards the Palestinian state, this will not be the last Gaza war ... we need to work with all our might to bring about a permanent solution," he said.

The foreign minister said he will meet other members of the contact group established by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League during his visit to Riyadh over the weekend.

He stressed Türkiye is working extensively with friends, allies and the international community to stop the current atrocities in Gaza, and to provide humanitarian aid to the blockaded region.

"Our colleagues at the UN are working day and night. They are working in Geneva. There is incredible effort and effort politically and humanely in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and as you have seen, the world capitals are also mobilised," he said.

Stressing the ongoing oppression and “massacres” of Palestinians are a consequence of racism, Fidan highlighted the need for the global community to remember the historical development of the Palestinian issue.

Pointing to the deprivation of the most basic social and individual rights of the Palestinian people over the years, he said: “The Netanyahu government has left Western countries facing a choice: either unconditionally support Israel or defend all common values of humanity.”

It is the duty of the whole world to defend the rights of Palestinians, he said.

New Zealand-Türkiye ties

Fidan underlined that the World War I Gallipoli campaign deeply affected the peoples of New Zealand and Australia, who took part in the battle, saying it was central to the national identity of these two young states.

“Türkiye’s increasingly strengthened friendship with these two states emerged from this shared pain," Fidan said.

Fidan said efforts with New Zealand officials will continue to develop this friendship, mentioning that discussions held today highlighted the importance of strengthening relations in the areas of trade, tourism, and investment.

On economic ties, he said: "We reached a trade volume of $174 million last year, but we do not consider this sufficient."

Expressing gratitude to New Zealand for its support and solidarity after the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye, Fidan said that this would always be remembered with gratitude.

In his meeting with his counterpart, they also had the opportunity to discuss current regional and global developments, evaluating global threats and challenges, Fidan said.

He expressed his condolences for those who lost their lives in a 2019 attack on Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, noting that March 15 – the day of the attack – has been recognised by the UN as the International Day for Combating Islamophobia.