Erdoğan said more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Oct. 7 invasion of Israel last year and its ensuing campaign in the Gaza Strip, while more than 17,000 children have been the targets of Israeli bullets and bombs.
“I call out the United Nations Security Council, what are you waiting for to prevent the genocide in Gaza? To put a stop to this cruelty and this barbarianism?” he asked.
Speaking just after President Joe Biden, Erdoğan also criticized U.S. policy in the region. “Those who are supposedly working for a ceasefire from this stage continue to send arms and ammunition to Israel so it can continue its massacres,” he said.
Erdoğan said that the states supporting Israel in “an unconditional manner” are also responsible for the situation in Gaza, and urged them to recognize the State of Palestine “as soon as possible.”
In July, Erdoğan threatened to send Turkish troops into Israel to intervene on behalf of the Palestinians.
As for the latest tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, Erdoğan told the UNGA that Turkey stands with the Lebanese people and accused Israel of inciting regional conflict through its actions against Hezbollah militants.
