The Turkish parliament adopted the resolution saying the speech of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the US Congress was a disgrace, while President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned those who applauded the Israeli premier, Turkish media reported.
Speaking at the event in the northeastern province of Rize, Erdogan underlined: “When we see those who applaud the murderer of 40,000 innocent people, we worry not only for humanity but also for our own future. Rolling out a red carpet for someone like Netanyahu, going much further and applauding his lies till their hands swell is a great mental eclipse for America.”
Earlier, Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the US Congress prompted a standing ovation from members of Congress despite Netanyahu facing an unprecedented boycott from about half of the Democrats in the House and Senate.
The Turkish president further said: “Since Oct. 7, Türkiye has been the conscience of humanity by standing against oppression. We have taken action for our brothers and sisters in Gaza and Palestine without hesitation, without holding back from anyone, regardless of who says what. In terms of humanitarian aid, we are the country that sent the largest amount of aid to Gaza. At all international meetings we participated in, we brought up the massacres committed by Israel in Gaza.”
“Who can claim that those who are silent about the massacre in Gaza today will react when the same happens to other countries? That is why we say at every opportunity that Türkiye must be strong, deterrent and self-sufficient in every field,” Erdogan said.
In the meantime, the deadly war in the Gaza Strip is still ongoing, which has claimed the lives of some 39,000 Palestinians since the Hamas attack on 7 October. On Friday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes on the school, killing at least 30 people, wounding more than 100. Israel also carried out precision strikes on Saturday, killing 11 people. Tel Aviv said the strike targeted a Hamas command centre where weapons stored and the attack was being planned.
The Turkish parliament passed a resolution noting the Israeli prime minister’s speech to the US Congress was a disgrace. “We declare that we regret this democratic disgrace. It is regrettable that a democratic institution, instead of restraining Israel’s unrestrained aggression, has become a tool for a stage show full of lies that empower and embolden the perpetrators of great crimes against humanity,” according to the resolution.
The resolution responded favourably to those who opposed the Israeli Prime Minister’s speech: “We find the attitude of those who are the voices of the collective conscience inside and outside the Congress building extremely valuable, and we appreciate the common sense members of Congress who courageously opposed a shady name to speak in their parliament and did not attend the session.”
The resolution also urged all those with political influence over Israel, including the US Congress, to take effective measures to stop Israel’s devastating actions in Gaza and to increase pressure on the Israeli government for an immediate ceasefire, as well as to pay special attention to efforts to ensure accountability for war crimes committed by the Israeli army.
