Gaza ceasefire vital for world peace, Erdoğan tells G20 summit

JOHANNESBURG

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has emphasized the importance of maintaining the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, calling it vital for global peace.

"The loss of more than 70,000 children, women and innocent adults cannot be compensated for, nor can the scars it has left on the minds of future generations be erased," Erdoğan told a session at the G20 summit in South Africa on Nov. 22.

He cited a United Nations report indicating that Israel’s attacks on Gaza have set back Palestine’s development efforts by at least 70 years.

"Unfortunately, in Gaza, we witnessed not only the destruction of infrastructure, but also of the environment... At this stage, it is essential to both accelerate humanitarian aid activities in Gaza and begin reconstruction activities without delay," he said.

"The continuation of the ceasefire achieved in Gaza… is of utmost importance not only for the Palestinian people but also for the peace of the entire world."

He reiterated Türkiye's commitment to protecting the ceasefire and contributing to reconstruction efforts in the enclave, stressing that a two-state solution remains the only path to lasting peace.

On the sidelines of the summit, Erdoğan held bilateral meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Joseph Carney and Brazilian President Lula da Silva.

He also met with leaders from Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Australia during a meeting of the informal MIKTA partnership platform.

Erdoğan was accompanied by his wife, Emine Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, chief foreign policy advisor Akif Çağatay Kılıç and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik.