President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the opening ceremony of the TRT World Forum, held at the Istanbul Congress Center, on Nov. 6, 2026. (AA Photo)
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Nov. 6 stressed the international system has gone “bankrupt,” accusing global institutions of standing by as Israeli actions in Gaza and settler violence in the occupied West Bank continue.
“The norms and principles of the international system are being trampled underfoot. Competition for power is becoming increasingly fierce ... When we look at events unfolding in different parts of the world, particularly in our region, we see that the system has raised the flag of bankruptcy,” Erdoğan said at a forum organized by TRT World in Istanbul.
Erdoğan renewed his criticism of the United Nations and other international institutions, accusing them of allowing injustice and wrongdoing to become normalized.
“We are going through times when rules are disregarded and the foundations of the rules-based system are undergoing serious shifts. We are witnessing a crisis in which the old is dying and the new has not yet been born,” he said.
“I believe we share a responsibility to end this crisis. We are going through a painful period. Yesterday’s prescriptions cannot cure today’s problems.”
Erdoğan criticized the international response to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, saying Palestinians continue to struggle to survive amid widespread destruction and restrictions on humanitarian assistance.
“In Gaza, which has been reduced to rubble, people are struggling to hold on to life in ruined homes. The entry of humanitarian aid is still being blocked. Settler terrorism, which aims to forcibly displace Palestinians from the lands they have inhabited for centuries, is becoming increasingly brazen every day under the indifferent gaze of the modern world,” he said.
“There is blatant oppression that everyone with a conscience must object to. International institutions whose duty is to ensure peace, security and stability are watching what is happening in Gaza, just as they did in places previously soaked in blood.”
He cited the 1994 Rwanda genocide and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre as examples of past failures by the international community to prevent atrocities.
Erdoğan also accused Israel of violating a peace agreement and criticized what he described as the failure to apply the principles underpinning international relations.
“Those who become lions when it comes to Türkiye turn into paper tigers when it comes to the genocide network,” he said.
“We will not bow to perception campaigns aimed at maliciously discrediting and cornering Türkiye. As Türkiye, we have committed our entire being and our hearts to building a more just and free world.”
Erdoğan pledged that Türkiye would continue to defend the Palestinian cause and voice its positions despite international pressure.
“Whatever the cost, we will continue to express what we believe to be right, share our proposals for solutions and defend the cause with determination,” he said.
