ISTANBUL

The long-running dispute between Israel and Palestine is no ordinary conflict but rather a struggle between oppressors and the oppressed, said the Turkish foreign minister on Friday.

"The conflict between Israel and Palestine has ceased to be a war and has turned into a struggle of the oppressors and the oppressed," Hakan Fidan told a joint news conference with Winston Peters, 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 flouting international law.

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

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

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

"If we fail to mobilize 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.

Fidan said he will meet other members of the contact group established by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League during his weekend trip to Saudi Arabia.

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 Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and as you have seen, the world capitals are also mobilized," 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 recognized by the UN as the International Day for Combating Islamophobia.