Erdoğan says int’l system is ‘severely wounded’ over Gaza

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has renewed his criticism of the international system over the war in Gaza, saying the global order had been “severely wounded” and had failed to uphold international law and protect civilians.

“Gaza has been turned into the world’s largest concentration camp by a genocidal network that sees itself above international law,” Erdoğan said at the International Justice Summit in Istanbul.

He accused Israel of repeatedly violating a ceasefire and said the international community had failed to respond adequately to the violence.

“Israel views the peace and security of the region, particularly its neighbors, as a direct threat to itself. We see that the international community is not giving the necessary response in the face of this painful picture,” he said.

“We are facing an international system that is severely wounded and has suffered an erosion of trust and credibility,” he said.

He also renewed his criticism of the U.N. Security Council, arguing that its structure gives disproportionate power to its five permanent members, which hold veto rights.

“We are aware that a structure in which the will of more than 190 countries under the U.N. umbrella depends on the decisions of only five members with veto privileges is not fair,” Erdoğan said.

“International law has almost been suspended. International agreements have lost their force. Decisions made by international courts are likewise not being implemented.”

He also accused Israel of violating the ceasefire “thousands of times,” claiming that 1,500 Palestinians had been killed and more than 5,000 wounded since a truce took effect.

“People have been brutally killed before the eyes of the world in Gaza for three years. Civilians are being martyred. More than 74,000 Gazans, most of them children and women, have been massacred,” he said.

Erdoğan further accused Israel of targeting holy sites in Jerusalem and seeking to change their historical and legal status.

“Türkiye would not turn its back on people who placed their hopes in the country,” Erdoğan said, adding that accountability for war crimes in Gaza was essential to restoring confidence in the international system.

“No one can claim that the international system is just unless the perpetrators of the genocide committed in Gaza are held accountable,” he said.

“It is unthinkable for a system in which international court rulings are not recognized to produce peace and security.”