Türkiye condemns settler violence, settlement expansion in West Bank

ANKARA

Türkiye on March 21 condemned what it described as an escalation in settler violence and illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, while also criticizing pressure exerted by Israeli security forces on Palestinians.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said these actions target Palestinians’ fundamental rights, “especially the right to life,” and further undermine regional stability.

The ministry said Israel’s annexation practices are weakening the prospects for a two-state solution, which it described as the only path to a just and lasting peace in the region. It added that an immediate halt to both settlement activity and settler violence is required under international law and is essential for regional stability.

The statement came amid mounting international concern over developments in the West Bank.

A U.N. human rights report released this week said more than 36,000 Palestinians had been displaced and warned that settlement expansion and settler violence were accelerating forced displacement across the territory. The report said nearly 64,000 housing units had been approved or advanced in East Jerusalem and the West Bank during the period under review.

The international community, including the United Nations, considers the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, occupied Palestinian territory and regards Israeli settlements there as illegal under international law.

U.N. officials have repeatedly said continued settlement growth threatens Palestinian self-determination and further erodes the viability of a future Palestinian state.